[PFS]GM Elanmorin's Glories of the Past Trilogy (Inactive)

Game Master Otha

Tak remains patiently waiting

Look people, we are at an impasse here. You stand there and nothing happens. Either leave this place undiscovered and climb up or risk everything and get the door open please

Sorry, lots to do, chronic obstructions in the way of doing any of it; don't keep the door shut on my account (I mean, unless the following reveals something bad).

I thought I'd already made a Perception check, but here you go: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (15) + 18 = 33

I was legit expecting an encounter :)

Tak watches the skilled technician go to work on the lock, sword in hand.

Noted on the map.

"There's some sort of fire patterned mosaic, but most importantly, there is a door. I am going to investigate." Kelumur shouts back to those above.

Once Quiella has reached the bottom, Kelumur will open the door slowly to peer through.

Door should already be open...

The door opens as Kelumur peers through the doorframe... and is greeted by a short corridor leading to a stone wall. It seems like a dead end... until Zeno's keen eyesight notices the telltale signs of a secret door and not far from it, the switch to get it open...

Six short stone columns carved to resemble dwarven laborers decorate the room isnide the hidden passage, whose smooth walls slope slightly inward
in a pyramidal shape. A pile of humanoid bones lies in one corner, and a lone skeleton lies closer to the room's center.

Heal or Knowledge (local) check to identify the bones.

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Forensic anthropology is not one of Zeno's specialties.

Anyone else? Otherwise you can leave this place as it is and we might move to the dungeon above

Ahn peeks down... wondering what is going on...

Kiboko spider climbs down to see what the fuss is about. He studies the bones:

heal, guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 1 = 27

Ahn, blurts out, "Er... ah... shield... othe... "

And tries to keep up with Kiboko... those Shield other wand-taps are speedy.

I don't remember how deep it is... if it's more than 30' he's staying put

climb: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (11) - 5 = 6

"Come, small warrior. It is not far. Kiboko will carry you."

Reminded of the Shield Other spell, Kiboko hefts Ahn up onto his shoulders.

is the passage behind the secret door a dead end?

@Quiella:possibly...

Kiboko immediately identifies the bones: they are very similar to his own after all. Those are unmistakably Orc Bones!

Unless there's something you want to do with the items in the previous room there's nothing else to do here.

After exploring the strange underground chamber the Pathfinders return to the upper level and stand in front of the hidden lever they found and uncertain about what could happen if they pull on it...

Takahiro moves everyone 40' back and flicks the lever.

does anyone who went down want to do a perception check to see if the passage is really a dead end or not? Quiella is clueless, lacking all relevant knowledge skills and any perception bonus whatsoever.

We've been down there for 1 real life month - we need to move on :p

As Takairo pulls the lever a section of the rocky walls suddenly shifts and rotates opening a passage that leads into the stony depths. The way is barred by a portcullis though...

In order to bypass the portcullis you need to bash it down or to lift it up. Tell me how you want to approach the task

"Kiboko can lift this. Is it safe and secure?"

Kiboko looks to Xeno and the others for confirmation and studies the portcullis.

perception, HA: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18

Kiboko does not notice anything out of order with the portcullis.

"Let us work together to lift it out of the way"

I suppose with a bunch of us we can take our time and with a bunch of assists to Kiboko we can move it easily enough.

Aye, Kiboko can Take 20 for a total STR check of 24 before assists.

Tak also has an 18 Str so between the two off them they'd be able to lift

Takahiro aids Kiboko in lifting the portcullis.

Quiella likewise pitches in.

It takes some time but working together Kiboko, Takahiro and Quiella are able to lift the portcullis enough to allow the passage of the rest of their friends into the dwarven fortress. After bypassing it they find themselves in front of a new obstacle: a locked wooden door...

Quiella scratches her chin. "Kelumur?" she asks expectantly.

Ah, doors: the bane of PbP.

Did we agree a Standard Operating Procedure at all? If not, I suggest the following to enable us to pick up some speed here:

I can live with that, let's just get moving :)

SOP sounds good.

I approve of that SOP, and especially of the general idea of SOPs for dungeons. I usually like to have a way to auto-advance through rooms that only have loot and the like. For instance, always go left.

Sorry, coming back from a bad flu and having to deal with work anyway. I'll try to squeeze in a post as soon as I feel better and can make the time

It takes some time for the pathfinders to determine the doors are not trapped and then to get them open. Thankfully nothing seems to meance the group so it can work together to great effect and so the wooden obstacle is quickly overcome.

A surprise waits the heroes as they move down the underground passage though: the desiccated corpse of a dwarf clutching a beautifully carved stone hammer lies at the northeastern corner of the drier, sealed corridor...

Those who went down the pit trap hatch may try a DC15 Intelligence check

Once the group has dealt with the dessicated corpse they move on and get another sliding wall open entering a much more grandiose section of the subterranean fortress...

Linguistics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Ahn examines the corpse of the dwarf, looking intently at the writing on the hammer, "If I'm not mistaken, that's Dwarven for 'Oath Keeper'", then he clutches his holy symbol, detecting evil... and then magic on the dwarf and hammer.

When the maiden's and hammers are visible, Ahn thinks back to the hammer with the desiccated dwarf... are they a match? Does it look like Maybe the one missing from the maiden's hands is with the dwarf?

"Could be related, perhaps we take the one from the corpse and return it to its rightful place"

Int: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"Seems likely Takahiro. Kiboko is swift. Kiboko will go and fetch it."

Speed 40, and climb speed 20 - Kiboko will go fetch the other hammer.

Perception on hammer down the pit: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 + 2 = 37

If it seems safe enough, Kiboko grabs the hammer and then returns with it.

intelligence: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Ahn does not notice anything evil about the hammer retrived from the dwarven corpse and realizes that yes, the hammer could be placed into the dwarven maiden's grasp.

Meanwhile Kiboko, acting on instinct or intuition, jumps down the pit trap and approaches the hammer down there. Just before picking it up he notices something strange though... there's a trap there and one that seems quite complex to disarm as well...

"Well spotted!"

Kiboko reports back and asks Kelumur to try to disarm the trap on the hammer below.

"Kiboko needs Kelumur's expertise. If we want the hammer from below, it bears a complex trap."

Quiella stands by, waiting to be useful.

Kelemur nods at Kiboko's summons and follows the half-Orc to the pit. He climbs down...

Climb: 1d20 ⇒ 2

I don't see a Climb mod in his profile but since I see he has a ring of Feather Fall, the point is moot...

The rogue makes his way to the hammer and the trap, he silently goes about his business...

Disable Device: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 20 = 34

...and disarms the nasty fire trap, allowing Kiboko to safely retrieve the hammer...

Still catching up but thought we could go ahead and move past the trap...

With the hammer retrieved, Kiboko sets it into the stone maiden's hand.

Not sure if this was the last hammer, or if there's still one to fine to fill all the maidens' empty hands? If there's one more, then Kiboko attempts to ascertain which one this hammer fits into. Kiboko understands Dwarven if there are any runes or markings.

There were three stonemaidens in area B2; one held a hammer the other two's hands were empty. It would appear you've found the hammers for the other two...

Kiboko returns to the stone maidens. The two found hammers each fit specifically into one of the statue's hands. Kiboko places the last hammer and...nothing happens...

perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37

"Look - the anvil...."

”I wonder what trap that now represents?”

Not sure why the previous GM had blocked off the large chamber area (B6) area on the map...it should be clearly visible from the elevated platform containing the stone maidens and the anvil. That area is now visible on the map.

Kiboko notices nothing especially remarkable about the anvil, only that it appears to have been well used, struck many times throughout the years...

Kiboko frowns.

"We are missing something. Who used this anvil? Why place the stone maidens here, with hammers that can be removed? What does it mean?"

Kiboko has a flash of inspiration: "One of the hammers is marked "Oath Keeper." What of the other two, are they named?" The half orc examines them, without removing them from their stone keepers.

While Kiboko doesn't find any markings on the statues or the hammer, he does notice that the immense chamber below has lots of art depicted on its walls...

Several bas reliefs decorate the walls of this colossal chamber below the raised platform the party is currently on. The wall art depicts images of dwarven triumph-smiths forging perfect weapons, warriors defeating savage ores, clergy venerating dwarven gods, and merchants counting glittering coins-and hundreds of these scenes cover the chamber's walls. The only surfaces not covered in sculpture are the three sets of large stone doors to the north, east, and west.

"Kiboko will go for Mvumbu whilst the rest of you think..."

Kiboko goes to the large doors to the south. After checking that this side is safe

Perception on doors, take 10: 10 + 17 = 27

Kiboko opens the door. He beckons Mvumbu towards him using the Come trick and setting her Animal Focus to Frog temporarily so she can jump the pit.

"Haaarrrrr!!" honks Mvumbu, unhappy at having been left alone for so long.

jump, take 10, frog focus: 10 + 10 + 4 = 24

She clears the pit and rejoins her companion.