It Came from Hollow Mountain

Game Master DEREK LANE 127

Doc, do you think this is one of those "haunts"? Will they keep coming back, and how would we stop it if so?

kn.rel: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

"Hard ta tell. I think ___[insert gm adjudication here]___"

have an actual bath.

Hatfield starts to cast Create Water, but then stops when Yazhi shakes her head.

Ayita of the Hawk Clan wrote:

Doc, do you think this is one of those "haunts"? Will they keep coming back, and how would we stop it if so?

[dice=kn.rel]1d20+11

"Hard ta tell. I think ___[insert gm adjudication here]___"

Doc thinks the haunts were actual undead, not psychic residue that will reform. He thinks this type of undead is permanently gone when destroyed in battle.

Our journey here was posted on Nov 29, 2022! And I totally forgot about the mention of a folding boat even though it was only about ten days ago in game time. You'd think it would have been listed in Hira's possessions, or maybe Damil's since he was the muscle. The well-dressed fops must be the cultists and the thugs were Maga Szuul and his cannibals.

Damil tells you that the folding boat was left hidden on the shores of Rivenrake Island. He can show you, if you take him with you.

"I'm more than a little concerned about your health, Ezranadir and Nasir. This place probably holds more serious dangers, including the possible ghost of a dismantled runelord, and it seems that the only way we can heal you, and help Doc fully recover after his return from death in Magnimar, is to go back to Magnimar and pay for some restoration spells. We could sell the treasures we found here and upgrade equipment as well, plus buy another wand of healing to augment Doc's capabilities. This sepulcher has been untouched for thousands of years, if we can get the main entrance to reseal there shouldn't be any harm in taking a week or two away and then coming back fully capable. Are we in such a hurry that we risk our lives right now? In our dream, Sorshen said that Alaznist has arisen but not that she was an immediate threat. Not that we should necessarily trust the word of one runelord about another..."

"If you believe so then let us return to Magnimar. But first let us secure this place and seek the folding boat Damil and his crew so kindly left for us to find."

Ter flaps her wings a bit. Magnimar pigeons, fat and slow!

Ayita goes over to the other alcove and looks inside for traps, skeletons, etc... We should at least examine the rest of this room.

perception: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 34

We should at least examine the rest of this room.

Hatfield looks around too: Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12 But he's a bit distracted.

He also does another sweep of the area with Detect Poison.

Ter flaps her wings a bit. Magnimar pigeons, fat and slow!

Ayita goes over to the other alcove and looks inside for traps, skeletons, etc... We should at least examine the rest of this room.

[dice=perception]1d20+17+2+1

Ayita is quite certain that this room does not have any traps or errant skeletons.

Ayita of the Hawk Clan wrote:

We should at least examine the rest of this room.

Hatfield looks around too: [dice=Perception]1d20+1 But he's a bit distracted.

He also does another sweep of the area with Detect Poison.

Doc detects no poisons.

Ayita gathers up her gear.

Ready, everyone?

"Nasir, how are you feeling? Are you OK with a quick trip back to Magnimar before we continue on?"

If we're all agreeing to leave, Frantino will ask Ayita to first come with him to slab E2f on the other side, the one with the beheaded hydra artwork, and see if the red jasper we just pulled from the urns looks like a match for one of the four depressions. We won't actually try to insert it yet. Then we'll head to the entrance, wait for everyone to get past the first stone block that lowered into the floor, and Frantino will say "Runelord Thybidos" again to see if it raises back into position.

"Nasir, how are you feeling? Are you OK with a quick trip back to Magnimar before we continue on?"

If we're all agreeing to leave, Frantino will ask Ayita to first come with him to slab E2f on the other side, the one with the beheaded hydra artwork, and see if the red jasper we just pulled from the urns looks like a match for one of the four depressions. We won't actually try to insert it yet. Then we'll head to the entrance, wait for everyone to get past the first stone block that lowered into the floor, and Frantino will say "Runelord Thybidos" again to see if it raises back into position.

The red jasper appears to fit one or two of the depressions. Hard to tell which one without trying it.

Say "Runelord Thybidos" has no affect.

"Alzough I am much weakened, I am hesitant to leave zis blace wizout what we came here for. I am concerned zat za minions we defeated are not za only ones are enemies can send. A lot can habben in a week if ozers arrive before we return, and we do not know how well our enemies blans broceed. I will, however, go along with what za majority wishes."

"I agree, Nasir, we shouldn't leave the Sepulchurs wide open like this."

Frantino probes around the slab trying to make it slide back up. It seems to be both mechanical and magical, since it responded to a verbal password.

UMD: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

Disable device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

"Ayita, do you want to give it a try? You are more skilled at these, plus you got the other one to open."

Of course. Want to help?

She uses 'guidance' first, and makes sure everyone is out of harm's way first.

disable device: 1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 15 + 1 = 29

Frantino will aid Ayita's disable roll. Automatic success.

Unfortunately, the stone pillar refuses to budge. It appears to be permanently retracted into the ground. Even saying "thybidos" again does nothing.

Want me to try the jasper in these spots before we go?

She examines the spots carefully for evidence that either is part of a trap.

perceive for traps: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 17 + 2 + 1 = 40

A nat 20! So many more nat 1s than 20s...

Want me to try the jasper in these spots before we go?

She examines the spots carefully for evidence that either is part of a trap.

[dice=perceive for traps]1d20+17+2+1

A nat 20! So many more nat 1s than 20s...

She finds no traps.

"I would say leave the jasper fitting for when we return. If it is one of the key stones then we do not want to try fitting it and have it be magically stuck. We should take it with us. As for the opening at the entrance, I can levitate a 700-lb boulder and place it to block the entrance to deter anyone if they happen by. Let us go. The sooner we depart, the sooner we can return."

"Once you move a sufficiently large boulder into the gap, we can shove some branches into any gaps and I can use wood shape up to three times to fill in the rest of the space, enough to keep most curious creatures out until we return. Sounds like a good Plan B!"

Ok, let's do this then.

Ayita helps get branches from the outside area. Ter supervises.

While we work, Frantino talks through a plan and asks everyone for help with adding details he might be overlooking.

"By keeping the jasper gem with us, we make it impossible for anyone else to get past that door, assuming that it is one of the required gems. Once this entrance is as blocked as we can get it, we should head back to the ship and brief Captain Antefalle on our plan. We can have Damil show the captain what beach they stowed the folding boat on so we can row ashore and fetch it, that seems much faster and less dangerous than trekking for hours across the island to this other beach and back while Damil plots his escape.

"Assuming that all goes well and Captain Antefalle agrees to take us to Magnimar for a quick visit and a return to this island, we need to make sure we inventory our treasure on the way and decide what we should sell. It can't hurt to ask the Sihedron Council if they'll pay for the restoration castings, since we're bringing them a prisoner from the Peacock Cult and news of a separate plot to spread a plague in Magnimar courtesy of the information we got off of Maga Szuul's body. If they won't, we should pay for those and a new healing wand out of party funds and then split the remaining gold, take a day to upgrade equipment, and get back here as quickly as possible. I'm sure that if Roscoe were still with us (may Pharasma have mercy on his soul) he would argue that Ezranadir, Nasir, and Doc would be responsible for those on their own. Oh, my, how do we get word to Roscoe's family about his fate in the Gauntlet of Fury? We should return his sihedron amulet to them, since it was his only possession that wasn't dissolved by the acid shower."

Is our loot list up to date with the latest finds in the Sepulchur, few that they are so far? I just added the seven quartz crystals from the urns and the jasper. GM, did you tell us what alchemical formulae were in Szuul's formula book? Our loot list says TBD.

Szuul's book

3rd—cure serious wounds, haste, clay skin, orchid's drop
2nd—barkskin, invisibility, resist energy, spider climb, vomit swarm, alter self, Aram Zey's focus, hidden blades, see invisibility
1st—cure light wounds, enlarge person, bomber's eye, invisibility alarm

"Let us go zen. Hopefully, we can find za ship and it will bring us back here again."

Nasir starts making his way out of the tomb.

Oddly, Roscoe's sihedron medallion refuses to leave the crypt. When you walk towards the entrance, it begins pulling and pulling until either you take it out of whatever pocket it is in, or it rips its way through your clothing.

Otherwise, all is fine. You successfully reach the shore and signal the watchman on Tyalee's Whim. A boat is launched to pick you up.

What do you want to do with Damil?

I think we were going to get Damil to direct us to where his group arrived, landed and left the folding boat. We had planned on keeping him tied up, locking him up in the ship brig under the watch of Captain Antefalle and taking him with us to the Council in Magnimar. I would also recommend we have one of our party keep watch on him as well during the voyage back.

It takes hours to trek back and forth, bringing loot (and prisoner!) to Tyalee's Whim. Night comes soon and you all find yourself sitting with the rough sailors of the Whim as they playing drinking games, crushing the wooden husk of coconuts on their head when they lose.

A night of rest heals 1pt of ability dmg, so... don't bother on spending Lesser Restorations.

Rivenrake Island awakens you in the morning. With chickens. The island is awash in the sounds of cocks crowing. Surprising, since you didn't see any chickens yesterday. Perhaps they are Invisible Chickens (CR1)? Camouflage Chickens (CR0)? Either...

We brought Damil to the ship's brig yesterday with all of the loot before we slept overnight, then we found and started exploring the Forlorn Sepulchurs earlier today. Frantino's proposal is to sail around the island and have Damil show Captain Antefelle the beach where they landed and stowed the folding boat. If we have to we'll row ashore with him to find the boat, but I think we'll be able to find it without him present, even if they folded it back into box form. Enough of us have detect magic that we'll be able to triangulate its location.

We brought Damil to the ship's brig yesterday with all of the loot before we slept overnight, then we found and started exploring the Forlorn Sepulchurs earlier today. Frantino's proposal is to sail around the island and have Damil show Captain Antefelle the beach where they landed and stowed the folding boat. If we have to we'll row ashore with him to find the boat, but I think we'll be able to find it without him present, even if they folded it back into box form. Enough of us have detect magic that we'll be able to triangulate its location.

It may have been yesterday in game time but that was 2 months ago real time. Just scrolled back to see. It's hard to keep track of the minor things. I know this game is a casual one but it is dragging with posting way too much in my opinion. Hopefully we can speed things up just a bit? I mean I joined this campaign just a little over 3 years ago real time. Lol.

Ayita also asks Ter to help locate the item based upon any descriptions provided.

Ter searching: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26

Finding the folding boat is a relatively simple matter, once you convince Captain Antefalle to circumnavigate the island.

The trip back to Magnimar is successful. Upon your arrival, a representative of the Sihedron Council invites you all to report back on what you've discovered.

Doc, Nasir, and Ezranadir will miss the council meeting, as the are seeking spellcasting services to address their various infirmities.

Costs: 1280gp for Doc, 280gp for Nasir and Ezranadir, each. The Sihedron Council is unable to cast these for you at this time. You'll need to find somebody else in time.

This will resolve Con drain.

@DOC - this resolves your remaining negative level. Remember to update your character sheet to return yourself to normal 7th level functioning.

@GM Derek, how many days travel is it? Ezranadir would be transcribing spells. Also can we just sell off the loot with given worth or do you want to dicker with pricing, etc.? How about the loot with no prices? Just assign normal PHB pricing and sell off for half? I don't think any of us have the gold to cover the restoration costs.

@GM Derek, how many days travel is it? Ezranadir would be transcribing spells. Also can we just sell off the loot with given worth or do you want to dicker with pricing, etc.? How about the loot with no prices? Just assign normal PHB pricing and sell off for half? I don't think any of us have the gold to cover the restoration costs.

Three day trip back to Magnimar, sailing with the wind.

Knowledge (local) DC25 results in finding an interested party to buy your unpriced items. These are ancient items of great historical value. Assign normal PHB pricing, despite their time-worn condition. Failure on the roll mean 50% PHB pricing.

Any standard items from the PHB sell for 50%.

Can multiple people search/roll or use aid another? Does anyone have better than +10 for Knowledge-Local?

One roll. Add'l aids allowed.

After one person begins scouting for buyers, the word gets out amongst the thassilonian antiquities market that you're looking and prices only go down.