It Came from Hollow Mountain

Game Master DEREK LANE 127

Ayita and Frantino pile large chunks of statues atop the slot in the floor into which the door has slid. Despite Ayita's amazing efforts, the door (one hour later) slides upwards and knocks the chunks aside. Touching it again causes it to open.

When the door eventually slides upwards out of the floor, anybody on the pool/statue side notes that the gemstone used to open it is GONE.

If you want to confirm if it returned to the plinth, you’ll need to retrace your steps to that room. Who goes? When?

To clarify the timing here, please confirm where you are all camping out and when.

In the hallway or the pool room?

Where is everybody one hour after opening the pool statue room door?

Do you open it before resting or after?

Does Ayita open the new door before resting or after?

Nasir begins rummaging in his Bag of Holding to see if the red gem that he had put in there after they left this room was still there.

He also tries to look to see if there is an indentation in the other door that would fit the gem.

"Maybe za gem we took from zis room will open zat ozer door? Wait a moment as I dig it out..."

I was under the impression that we were going to go back up the long narrow hall, pass through the door we opened with the aquamarine, walk quickly through the room with the pool and petrified creature, not open the one remaining door in there until after we've rested, and stop in the large room between the pool and the plinth. There was evidence of a battle in there (we assume Szuul and his cannibal barbarians) but we never fought there. If the iron sentinel body parts in there have reformed into statues, or whatever their intact form is, then we'd stop before entering! I have my token in that room already. If that's not where others think we should rest, please say so, but that seemed to be the room Ezranadir described and no one else had chimed in with another suggestion. If we're in that room, Frantino will briefly go back to the top of the stairs and see if the aquamarine that did open the corner door in the pool room had returned, but not so far into that room that he restarts the first trial.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

I was under the impression that we were going to go back up the long narrow hall, pass through the door we opened with the aquamarine, walk quickly through the room with the pool and petrified creature, not open the one remaining door in there until after we've rested, and stop in the large room between the pool and the plinth. There was evidence of a battle in there (we assume Szuul and his cannibal barbarians) but we never fought there. If the iron sentinel body parts in there have reformed into statues, or whatever their intact form is, then we'd stop before entering! I have my token in that room already. If that's not where others think we should rest, please say so, but that seemed to be the room Ezranadir described and no one else had chimed in with another suggestion. If we're in that room, Frantino will briefly go back to the top of the stairs and see if the aquamarine that did open the corner door in the pool room had returned, but not so far into that room that he restarts the first trial.

The room Ezranadir was directing everyone to was the corridor next to the portal where his token currently is located not the one way back where Frantino's token currently is. The intention was to not go any further opening doors or triggering anything further until the group rested. If people want to go back that far then so be it. Just know Ezranadir is nearly out of spells and you will be on your own without his repertoire. For protecting the runestones, he can cast an Alarm spell and keep Nasir and the backpacks on one side of the corridor and Maga Szuul on the other.

OK. Things are clearer. BOTH hallways have shattered statues of one sort or another. The northern hallway has a door that can be closed. The southern hallway's door is broken and cannot be closed/secured.

None of the statue bits/wreckage have moved or changed.

The middle corridor/door that Ayita has opened can be closed. WHEN she opened it is completely up to all of you.

Let me know where you'd like to rest (southern or northern hallway) and when Ayita opens the door (before rest or after).

Frantino would be somewhat paranoid about going through the door we opened with the gem and then getting locked out from the portal room, so staying in the long thin (northern) hallway is perfectly fine with him. Casting an alarm spell goes a long way toward easing his anxiety about Szuul! He still thinks a double watch is necessary, even if it means resting longer to make sure everyone can refresh spells in the morning. He finds the pool room with the twisted petrified creature creepy and is happy to limit walking through there to as few times as necessary. I've moved Frantino's token back.

I was wondering where this door that we didn't open was. When I looked at the map, we had been through all of them. I'm good camping in the northern hallway.

I was wondering where this door that we didn't open was. When I looked at the map, we had been through all of them. I'm good camping in the northern hallway.

I jumped the gun and proceeded with Ayita's desire to open the middle door. See this post.

Retconning - this will occur AFTER your rest.

RESTING ACCOMPLISHED!

The hours tick by in the sepulchre-like silence as you rest in the northern corridor. The door slides closes shortly after you decide to remain the corridor.

The watches pass and Maga Szuul sits, sleeps, tosses and turns. After sleeping, he awakens and begins preparing new extracts.

During your downtime, one of you touches the now-closed door. It slides down into the floor, opening. After an hour it rises up, closing.

What now?

Ezranadir gets up and casts Mage Armor on himself. He works his way over to Nasir whispering, "You may want to verify you still have the runestone." He then heads over to Frantino and whispers the same.

He heads over to Maga Szuul, partially to distract from Nasir & Frantino as eveyone prepares to continue, "What type of extracts are you preparing? May I see?"

Ezranadir gets up and casts Mage Armor on himself. He works his way over to Nasir whispering, "You may want to verify you still have the runestone." He then heads over to Frantino and whispers the same.

He heads over to Maga Szuul, partially to distract from Nasir & Frantino as eveyone prepares to continue, "What type of extracts are you preparing? May I see?"

Maga Szuul is unwilling to share any information.

"These are mystical secrets, taught by my master, not to be shared with anybody! Upon pain of death!" he says secretively, covering his extracts.

Ezranadir is irritated by Maga Szuul's response, "I was not wanting to learn your secrets for making these concoctions. Just wondering what type they are. Are they for healing or for bombing as I do not want to be caught in the radius of a bomb. Perhaps we should just put you back where we found you so your masters secrets can die with you." Under his breath he continues with, "You ungrateful piece of ....!" He walks away shaking his head.

To everyone he asks, "Shall we continue with the middle door?"

Hatfield chats with Szuul about the benefits of cooperation.

Diplo for the day with Szuul: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22
__________________________________________________

If all targets allow, Hatfield will cast status on Szuul, Yahzi, and Ter.

Hatfield will establish Life Link on Ayita, Frantino, and Nasir.

Ayita casts Shield Companion upon Ter and Yazhi.

Yes, let's go! once everyone else is ready.

"These are mystical secrets, taught by my master, not to be shared with anybody! Upon pain of death!" he says secretively, covering his extracts.

After checking to make sure the runestone is secure, Frantino allocates his mental focus and prepares his two investigator extracts of long arms. He also tries to analyze what Szuul is preparing based on the raw materials he is mixing. Craft alchemy for bombs and Spellcraft for extracts?

Craft alchemy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 12 + (2) = 18

With preparations complete, Frantino hoists Fury and prepares to move out with the group to the mysterious middle door in the pool room with the creepy "statue."

Nasir checks to makes sure that the runestone is still in his possession as he prepares for another day of anticipated fighting.

When everything checks out, he makes his way to the door, touches it, and makes his way back into the room where the portal was.

GM Derek wrote:

"These are mystical secrets, taught by my master, not to be shared with anybody! Upon pain of death!" he says secretively, covering his extracts.

After checking to make sure the runestone is secure, Frantino allocates his mental focus and prepares his two investigator extracts of long arms. He also tries to analyze what Szuul is preparing based on the raw materials he is mixing. Craft alchemy for bombs and Spellcraft for extracts?

[dice=Craft alchemy]1d20 + 8
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20 + 12 + 1d6

With preparations complete, Frantino hoists Fury and prepares to move out with the group to the mysterious middle door in the pool room with the creepy "statue."

Frantino is unable to identify the extracts from where he is. And bombs are created the round they are used, so... no bombs being created (good news!).

MIDDLE DOOR

All of you are lined up along the pool, watching as Ayita works to open the middle door. She successfully figures out how to open the door.

(see previously posted Disable Device check)

I lined you all up. With exception of Ayita, who must be in front to open door, I invite you to select your marching order on Roll20.

Complex mosaics in strange patterns adorn the floor of this long, vaulted hall. A set of six statues of robed warriors stand within raised niches along the north and south walls. Each statue is made of white marble and brandishes exotic weapons as it looks down with contempt.

The bronze gate Ayita has disabled is adorned with the rune of wrath.

When Ayita mentions statues, Ezranadir comes up by her and says, "Careful going forward. These statues may activate and attack like the last hallway Maga Szuul & his minions encountered. Wait just a moment."

He will cast Detect Magic, keep concentrating on it (3 rounds) and scan inside the room from the doorway, trying to locate any magical auras viewing the statues and patterns on the floor.

When Ayita mentions statues, Ezranadir comes up by her and says, "Careful going forward. These statues may activate and attack like the last hallway Maga Szuul & his minions encountered. Wait just a moment."

He will cast Detect Magic, keep concentrating on it (3 rounds) and scan inside the room from the doorway, trying to locate any magical auras viewing the statues and patterns on the floor.

The statues are of exquisite workmanship and radiate a moderate aura of evocation magic.

How many statues can we see? From the doorway without going in, it looks like 6 niches.

Ezranadir relates the above and ponders, "Hmmm, well that doesn't make sense. If the statues were to come alive, I would not associate that with Evocation. Perhaps a trap? What do you think Frantino? Besides, I would only be able to dispel magic twice and not be able to get all of them."

Ayita casts "guidance" on herself, calls Ter over to her shoulder, and carefully inspects the door and entrance area for traps.

Ayita perceiving all the traps: 1d20 + 1 + 2 + 17 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 + 2 + 17 + 1 = 32

Frantino will cast detect magic from the other side of Ayita and peer into the room, also looking for traps and analyzing the magic auras.

Perception with trapfinding: 1d20 + 16 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 = 36 Whoa, quite the lucky roll!
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 12 + (6) = 29

"Evocation magic certainly screams TRAP to me, I'd otherwise expect transmutation, maybe? With any luck Ayita and I can disable them."

If we have to enter the room, Frantino will creep down the left side and ask Ayita to disable the right statues, working in tandem if that's what is necessary.

Disable device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29 And there go my decent rolls for the next week...

While his companions work on the door, Hatfield draws his metamagic rod

Frantino will cast detect magic from the other side of Ayita and peer into the room, also looking for traps and analyzing the magic auras.

[dice=Perception with trapfinding]1d20 + 16 + 1 Whoa, quite the lucky roll!
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20 + 12 + 1d6

"Evocation magic certainly screams TRAP to me, I'd otherwise expect transmutation, maybe? With any luck Ayita and I can disable them."

If we have to enter the room, Frantino will creep down the left side and ask Ayita to disable the right statues, working in tandem if that's what is necessary.

[dice=Disable device]1d20 + 10 And there go my decent rolls for the next week...

Entering the corridor and stepping in front of the second set of statues sets off a fire trap that blasts the entire corridor. Ayita easily finds it by spotting faint scorch marks along the floor, walls and ceiling.

Frantino notices the floor is covered in a fine layer of ash. Perhaps the magic can be blocked by blocking the views of the two statues? He throws ash up in the air, causing an obscuring cloud to fill the room. The entire party can step through the hallway before the ash falls to the floor again, allowing the trap's "vision" to reset.

Great rolls, you two!

The far end of the room to the east ends in a set of stairs leading upwards to another set of stairs, this time spiraling upwards to who knows what!

An archway separates the spiral staircase from the straight stairs. The archway is carved to resemble crossing ranseurs. A message has been inscribed in the stone above the archway. It reads, in Thassilonian: “Those who pass beyond, aspirant or doomed, may endure the Gauntlet to earn Wrath’s blessing.”

It appears that the group has come upon the entrance to the Gauntlet of Wrath.

You all have done the gauntlet backwards! This is the starting room for an aspirant in the Runelord's entourage.

Is there any magic on either of the stairs or the archway?

"Good job, you two. How about checking out the stairs leading up?"

Is there any magic on either of the stairs or the archway?

"Good job, you two. How about checking out the stairs leading up?"

There is not.

ARE YOU READY TO ASCEND THE STAIRS?

Ayita works to assist Frantino's disabling of the trap.

disable fire trap: 1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 15 + 1 = 18

Ayita, the trap has already been temporarily disabled from Frantino throwing ash into the air. We already bypassed it and have moved onto the next area. We are at an archway with spiral stairs leading up. Check Roll20 token positions. Will you check for traps and are going up?

Frantino will follow Ayita and Yazhi up the stairs, helping her search for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 16 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 1 = 37

check for traps, going up stairs: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 21

As Ayita begins toward the stairs, some of the ash floats straight into her eyes and nose, triggering massive sneezing. She does her best to search in spite of it, but everything looks a little blurry.

I think I'm allergic to incinerated human.

NEW LEVEL

Ayita and Frantino carefully walk up the spiral staircase, checking for traps or other hazards. Frantino's keen eyes note that there is very little dust here. As if it has been abandoned for years. No footprints are visible. No scuffs. No piles of human ash to irritate Ayita's allergies.

Eventually, the two find at the top of the spiral stairs ANOTHER set of stairs. This time, they are straight, leading upwards to what is obviously a secret door. But Ayita is on the opposite side of the secret door and it is not hidden from this side.

I looked at the Roll20 map and we are in a room which looks like it has a pool. Is this correct? I did not see this in the description & do not see any stairs you described.

I looked at the Roll20 map and we are in a room which looks like it has a pool. Is this correct? I did not see this in the description & do not see any stairs you described.

Try logging out and back in? I've moved the active map, so you're all on the new map. And I've copied all of you and put your tokens in the appropriate room.

Ayita has been mopping her eyes with a wet cloth... she starts searching these stairs for traps now.

perceive even more traps: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 21

Unfortunately the cloth seems to have had more of the ash on it...

I'll look forward to 2 nat 20s in a row now...? as if...

Ezranadir wrote:

I looked at the Roll20 map and we are in a room which looks like it has a pool. Is this correct? I did not see this in the description & do not see any stairs you described.

Try logging out and back in? I've moved the active map, so you're all on the new map. And I've copied all of you and put your tokens in the appropriate room.

I actually show us in BOTH locations! If you zoom your view way out, I see us in the top middle-right in what looks like the first portal room that Mozamer used, and I also show us in the bottom left corner. Maybe we've split into duplicates like Kelhuud? LOL, must be something about this island! Maybe the portal malfunctioned like the transporter incident that created Will and Thomas Riker in "Second Chances" on Star Trek: TNG.

Concerned about Ayita's vision, Frantino keeps his eyes peeled for traps as we ascend the straight stairs.

Perception: 1d20 + 16 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 = 36 Are you kidding me? Can I save these last few rolls for combat?

Allowing Ayita and Frantino to clear the way, Nasir stays back to make sure that the less melee-oriented members of the party avoid any complications. He waits for the all clear from Ayita and Frantino before bringing up the rear with the casters.

Neither Frantino nor Ayita find anything out of the ordinary on the stairs. Just the door.

Frantino will signal down the stairs for everyone to join them. Once the group is ready, he will open the door, weapon ready, unless Ayita wants to open the door and immediately look for traps on the other side.

"It may be a good idea to locate how to open the door on the other side before we all go through. Especially if we have to come back this way since it the start of the Gauntlet. I just hope we did not miss anything. Having to go through another portal does not look promising."

Frantino will signal down the stairs for everyone to join them. Once the group is ready, he will open the door, weapon ready, unless Ayita wants to open the door and immediately look for traps on the other side.

Anybody want to do/say anything before opening the door?

After people do/say stuff...

Frantino easily opens the door. It slides open, revealing a 15x20ft room with an air of punctilious efficiency. Mahogany cabinets line the northern wall containing carefully filed and regimented scrolls and papers. Additional scrolls and papers lie atop a desk in the center of the room, along with a lit oil lamp and a small plaque bearing a short line of text. The plaque reads, in Thassilonian, "Augus Premm."

A pale, slight man with thinning hair sits behind the desk. He ignores the opened door and Frantino, consumed with gathering up and sorting the scattered scrolls and papers on his desk.

He mutters to himself, "Last year's aspirants here. Next month's apprentices there. So messy. Damned clerks must be disciplined. Disciplined!"

Ayita auto-succeeds on the perception check, and whispers to her friends... I think it's a haunt! No wonder, paperwork is horrifying!!!

Staying back, Ezranadir says, "Well, if it is a Haunt, it may continue if we do not get close and interact with it. Can you tell how to get the secret door opened again without getting close to the Haunt? How much room is there to pass by it?"

Can we make a knowledge check for determining how to stop the haunt? I have an idea just from the description.

Knowledge: 1d20 ⇒ 19 Religion +14 if not that then Arcana +16 or Dungeoneering +15.

Ayita carefully perceiving room for secret door mechanism, space etc.: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 38

Ter pipes up...

Fly into room and look?

Ayita frowns... trying to see if she can discern the issues without risk to Ter.

Frantino auto-succeeds the perception check, notices the ghostly hands failing to sort the paperwork, and tries to help determine if this is a haunt and how it could be put to rest.

Knowledge religion: 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (6) = 17

Staying back, Ezranadir says, "Well, if it is a Haunt, it may continue if we do not get close and interact with it. Can you tell how to get the secret door opened again without getting close to the Haunt? How much room is there to pass by it?"

Can we make a knowledge check for determining how to stop the haunt? I have an idea just from the description.

[dice=Knowledge]1d20 Religion +14 if not that then Arcana +16 or Dungeoneering +15.

No skill check to discover how to deactivate a haunt. But I'll call that roll an Intelligence check.

Ezranadir thinks the haunt's obsession with the papers is a key to what created it in the first place. And what might quiet this spirit.

[dice=Ayita carefully perceiving room for secret door mechanism, space etc.]1d20+17+2+1

Ter pipes up...

Fly into room and look?

Ayita frowns... trying to see if she can discern the issues without risk to Ter.

From this side of the door, Ayita brilliantly examines the mechanism and figures out how it must work when it is closed. And thus, how to open it again from the other side.

[dice=Ayita carefully perceiving room for secret door mechanism, space etc.]1d20+17+2+1

Ter pipes up...

Fly into room and look?

Ayita frowns... trying to see if she can discern the issues without risk to Ter.

As with all such situations, Ayita is loath to send Ter into danger alone.