GM Jhaeman's "Crypt of the Everflame" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Initiative (Round 5)

Ao
Surely
Uaine
T'Shar
Skeleton
Steppinwolf

Bold should go!

Her previous strikes not landing, Uaine changes up, going for a kick followed by a mask-augmented headbutt.

Flurry: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Flurry: 1d20 ⇒ 20
Confirmation: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Critical Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 6) + 4 = 11

Uaine smashes her head into the skeleton, and it shatters into thousands of fragments of bone!

We are off Initiative. Good work everyone. Please make sure you keep your taglines updated as needed. To recap the room description: "You see a long chamber with risen platforms on either side. A faded painting of a heroic warrior is on the far wall, but of far more immediate interest is that the room appears to be the site of a gruesome battle, with two bodies piled in the center and a number of skeletons scattered around. An echoing wail can be heard somewhere in the distance, beyond this foul chamber. Doors are visible on the risen platforms to the west and east."

Surely returns the wand and then takes a moment to search the bodies that scatter the room and look for anything else of value.

Perception Search: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Steppinwolf, grumbling at his seeming inability to hit anything, moves carefully forward towards the wailing.

"These men appear to be from Kassen- part of an advance team sent to prepare the crypt for the ritual. Not much here- some rations, water, smokesticks- blunt arrows? Does anyone use blunt arrows?"

It sounds like the wailing is coming from somewhere to the east. When Steppinwolf opens the corresponding door, a pile of saddlebags and three brooms are lying just on the other side. A corridor heads to the north and south, with both then apparently turning east again. The wailing is much louder in this chamber and appears to be coming from the south.

Steppinwolf gestures to the rest of the party and points south.

Blunt arrows he says. Usually used for practice and play combats so no one gets seriously hurt

"...Or to smash from a distance than which a cannot be punctured."

As Steppinwolf leads the group towards the sound of the wailing, you enter what looks like a veritable maze formed by pillars and passageways.

On the wall of one of the dead-ends, a switch is clearly visible.

I've marked the switch with a yellow "S" on the map. This is one those rare non-combat times where precision on where everyone is will be very important, and if you want to move somewhere, please trace your route with an arrow or otherwise describe it clearly.

"We'll take them back to Kassen afterwards, if nothing else is weighing us down."

In the maze, Uaine resumes a guarded stance. She peers around Ao and Steppinwolf and towards the switch. It probably isn't obviously connected to anything, but best to check before making any decisions.

Not moving any further than those to yet, suppose I'd be squeezing for a few seconds unless they're going forward too.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Surely takes a step away from the others and turns to his right to look down the next corridor.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

"Anything we can do to help with this Steppenwolf? I'm afraid switches and such are outside my expertise. . ."

"This one is safe at least, I believe. We just don't know what it's supposed to do."

I'm not playing with that until we have to Steppinwolf replies. May as well see what we can find first.

He moves carefully to the next intersection ((moved on map))

T'Shar follows silently, letting Steppinwolf and other melee capable companions in his front.

As Steppinwolf continues to the east, the wailing intensifies--it seems to be coming from behind a heavy stone door to the south. But before he can get closer, a cunningly-concealed pit trap opens under his feet!

Steppinwolf, please attempt a DC 20 Reflex save. If you fail, you fall into the pit and onto a pile of pillows for 1d6 nonlethal damage. Either way, you'll notice a sack at the bottom of the pit.

The pit is represented by the black square. Surely, you see another stretch of corridor as revealed on the map.

reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Steppinwolf falls into the pit and onto the ...... pillows? This was really odd.

nonlethal: 1d6 ⇒ 2

But since he was down here, he may as well look into the sack.

"Are you all right?" Uaine calls down the pit. She unspools a coil of rope and tosses it down, offering some of the extra to Ao.

Yeah .. I'm fine .... landed on ... some .... pillows He then impales one with his greatsword to make sure it's a pillow, not a swarm of pillow mimics.

No pillow mimics here! What would folks like to do next?

Surely steps forward and looks down the next unexplored hallway.

"Which way, I wonder from here?"

What about that sack down there? The one you're looking at? - asks T'Shar, curious, before turning to Surely - Let's pull him back and continue to that hallway.

Steppinwolf tells them what's in the sack before adding a couple of pillows to it. He then gets hauled up.

Surely makes it to an intersection and sees a corridor heading 20' feet north, with multiple branches off of it.

"Sigh. A bunch more branches this way as well. . . I'm afraid we're going to just have to start heading SOME way or other."

Okay, I'm back on board--thanks for your patience, everyone. To recap: you're in a bit of a maze. There's a shut door to the southeast, a switch on the wall (labelled "S"), a pit that had a message in a bag (spoiler above), and some unexplored areas of the maze. What would you like to do? I might ask someone to take the initiative and be specific.

As Steppinwolf gets back with them, T'Shar moves on his own. He knees down near the shut door to the southeast, then waves calling the others.

This way seems as good as any way within this maze... Let's keep moving! - says the impatient Ifrit.

Finally back! I had to clear cookies and refresh more than once, and use different browsers. Now it seems to be stabilizing in all my devices.

T'Shar squeezes past his allies and tries the southeast door, but it seems locked.

Welcome back! I've moved your token to where the door is.

Once Steppinwolf is back on solid ground, Uaine moves ahead, now more watching her feet in case the next trap is another pit.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Uaine discovers another pit trap just around the corner from the first one!

Good Perception check. I've marked the second pit with the same black square as the first one. Uaine, the rest of your route is completed with no difficulty, and you've uncovered a little more of the maze.

Are there any pillows in that one too? Steppinwolf asked.

With a little effort, the pit trap is searched: it too contains pillows at the bottom, platinum coins in a bag, and a note with the same message.

Here's a reminder of what the note says: “three to open, but be quick, for the door will only open for those who work together”.

What in the abyss would three to open mean? - asked the Ifrit, loudly and carelessly, clearly showing why he wasn't known for his intellect, wisdom or any other mental skills for that matter - I get the work together part, but the rest of the riddles just goes right over my head.

"More switches, perhaps?" Uaine says, puzzling over the note. "I haven't seen any more. The first one looked safe enough, but I'd still half expect the others to have tricks like this."

With Uaine searching carefully ahead, you uncover several more pits and two more switches scattered throughout the maze.

Not much progress is being made here--maybe the maze just doesn't translate well to PbP--so to keep us from stalling further I'm going to assume that Uaine takes 10 on Perception, which will discover the rest of the pits and the switches. The contents of the pits are the same as the others.

"What happens next?" the GM asked.

I wish I knew; you might be right about "translating poorly".

I guess someone needs to stand by each switch and they all get flipped simultaneously

Following Steppinwolf's suggestion, all three switches are flipped simultaneously and the door opens! Hurrying through, you find yourselves in a corridor that branches and ultimately leads to three different sets of doors.

The branch heading west leads to a door with no handle or keyhole, and your best guess is that it's a one-way door that only opens from the other side.

The "middle" door is unremarkable.

The sound of the wailing intensifies in the direction of the easternmost door, and the corridor leading to it is covered in cracked and broken bones.

I've indicated the doors with text on the map. Which would you like to approach?

Uaine warily approaches the one-way door, giving it a firm push without being too loud. She doesn't expect it to give way. Unless it does, the tiefling nods questioningly in the direction of the caterwauling. "Shall we?"

Steppinwolf comes behind Uaine - greatsword at the ready. He just nods at Uaine.

After verifying that the western corridor's door is indeed one-way only, the group follow the sound of the wailing. Uaine tries to open the door, but it must be locked.

I'd need a Disable Device to pick the lock.

If there's no one with Disable Device, other options include trying to break/hack the door or trying another door.

Steppenwolf mutters I knew I should have bought a Great Axe as well ... and not just to make music.

"My father's the one to call for lockpicking, not me," Uaine says as she tries the last door instead. "Not that I'm above breaking it down, but maybe this one will open without trouble...?"

Uaine leads the group into another corridor, and this time the door at the end swings open easily. The small chamber on the other side is mostly empty, save for the body of a villager sprawled in the center.

Perched atop the corpse is a man-sized brown and yellow beetle, trying to push it into the corner where a pile of trash and filth awaits!

As a free action, on your turn, you can try to identify the beetle.