Elena lunges to try and avoid falling into the pit.
When the winch follows after, she tries to twist out the way.
Sigh. Hero Point.
”Elena, stop trying to be a hero. We need you in one piece as a wizard.” the gnomes cries as he watches in horror.
Elena SKIRTED the pit, but the action was enough to set it off, thankfully without risk to her.
The twisted creature just stares with eyes too wide for sanity.
Bibi enters behind Elena, and looks around for other traps first
and then tries to take a careful measure of the creature--specifically, whether it's actually attached to the wall, or just faking
She looks genuinely wrapped up.
Does anyone see any need to engage with this creature before we move on?
"I wish I could tell if freeing them would be good for them... or bad for us. It's difficult to know that someone is in agony, but confusing when it seems like they're enjoying it."
She comes to a decision. "Let's move on."
The velstrac only growls at the party...
"If we are to turn these vaults into a butterfly sanctuary, I don't think this velstrac is a useful resident. Even though it is already chained up, do you think that we need to keep it here? I just don't think it will attract butterflies the way this place needs to."
"First off, butterflies are not exactly subterranean creatures. I hate to take a dream away from you, but I doubt you'll be able to keep any here. But secondly we have a lot still to explore. We can come back to the velstrac later."
"Butterflies don't like caves?" A quiet moment passes as the gnome is lost in thought. "Okay, we can come back later."
Elena moves toward the northern door. "Given the rusty grate, let's proceed with care. Bibi, as our expert trap finder can you make sure the door will open safely? Peldur, if there's a velstrac here then I have no doubt that there'll be evil throats in need of punching. Be ready."
"I am ready, and you all seem healthy. However, if you are still hurt and you are not telling me, I will have words for you. Lead us onward, Bibi."
Are those words "butterflies" and "rainbows"? Noroc asks playfully.
I've got a minor scrape here but it's nothing I can't handle.
Bibi glances at Noroc, pulling out her flask. How about "beer" and "imbibe?"
She then stows the flask, burps professionally, and moves to the grate.
Bibi hears nothing, senses nothing, and unlocks nothing. She still has Peldur open the door. It's a large area. As the party steps in, the feral vesltrac snickers...
Three cells line the south wall, their bars only a few inches apart. Each cell contains a heap of rotted flesh and shattered bone.
”Rotten flesh is not a good sign. Be ready for anything!” Carrufikus declares as he tightens his grip on his staff. ”And no, my words will be stronger than butterflies and rainbows!”
"Let's check the southern door then, because as much as I want to find out what happened here... I'm not in a hurry to sift through dead flesh."
Agreed!
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Bibi deems it safe enough for her to sleep well with Peldur risking it.
A steep staircase descends underneath a footbridge, which crosses this hall at 20 feet above the ground. From this side, the double door to the south is barricaded with several bars of twisted metal scrap and a sturdy wooden shelf.
Talborel begins to... QUIETLY... Clear the barricade.
Tal finds the refuse, REALLY haphazardly. There's no rhyme or reason, and therefore it's easy but annoying to clear.
When the door is clear, he tests it to see if it's locked. Then motions Bibi over to have a look for safety.
(E, +1 v. Traps)
Then a look for himself just for good measure...
I copied Bibi's from the party perception at the top of the page, but +5 looks really low. Doesn't it?
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When the door is clear, he tests it to see if it's locked. Then motions Bibi over to have a look for safety.
[dice=Bibi]d20+5 (E, +1 v. Traps)
Then a look for himself just for good measure...
[dice=Talborel]1d20+11
I copied Bibi's from the party perception at the top of the page, but +5 looks really low. Doesn't it?
Bibi finds the door to be safe, but there are some concerning sounds from the other side. It sounds like.... someone is smashing furniture on the other side. It doesn't stop either.
Then Tal kicks in the door, SWAT style, Arrow nocked and ready.
The curved east and west walls contain tables with small, built-in ovens. Wood fragments, heavily dented pewter serving dishes, silver flatware, and crystal shrapnel litter the floor. A wide alcove to the south ends at a cloudy window overlooking a much larger space. An array of magical glyphs glows next to the window.
Two spirits are arguing with one another.
"We have no way out of the arena!”
“There’s no path to escape!”
"We're trapped!"
When Tal kicks in the door they stop. They immediately turn on the party.
Initiative assumes Talborel is Scouting
Avoid Notice (T)
Detect Magic (A: +2 (U), N: +11 (T), O: +2 (U) , R: +11 (T))
Investigate (A: +13 (T), N: +9 (T), O: +11 (T) , R: +9 (T))
Search (E)
Avoid Notice (E)
Scout (Init ties to Tal)
ROUND 1:
Bibi (45/56): Go
Carrufikus (57/68): Go
Elena (37/48): Go
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue:
Bibi blinks at the strange tableau, but her reaction to the spirits' turning on them is quick. She draws her bow and fires rapidly on the closest spirit.
Also, I doubt it will happen, but: CRIT SPECIAL: When critting FF, target is pinned to adjacent surface (DC 10 Athletics, Interact)
You know what? frick it...hero point to reroll first attack
and I doubt that's also a crit but just in case:
Bibi shoots for the pin. The arrow slows at it passes through the spirit. Unfortunately, you can't pin a ghost.
ROUND 1:
Bibi (45/56): Crit + Hit
Carrufikus (57/68): Go
Elena (37/48): Go
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 10
Carrufikus looks at the two ugly spirits and casts a vitality lash (disrupt undead) spell on the blue spirit.
"If you are good, this won't bother you one bit!"
Carrufikus's spell strikes hard. Both spirits cry out, "NO! STOP! WE NEED TO ESCAPE!"
"LET US OUT!" They turn their attention on the gnome...
Bibi shoots for the pin. The arrow slows at it passes through the spirit. Unfortunately, you can't pin a ghost.
ROUND 1:
Bibi (45/56): Crit + Hit
Carrufikus (57/68): Hit!
Elena (37/48): Go
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 31
Elena spends what little time she has talking to the spirits. Pleading even. "Stop! Don't harm us and won't harm you further! You're free now! We've opened the door to let you escape! But if something else holds you here, tell us what and we'll free you from it!"
"YOU BLOCK THE WAY! YOU BLOCK THE WAY!"
Elena quickly sees that the way isn't open, as the entire party is in the hall preventing egress. So, they hurl stuff at the lying Elena.
for
MISS
for
for
In their fury they drop Elena!
ROUND 1:
Bibi (45/56): Crit + Hit
Carrufikus (57/68): Hit!
Elena (0/48, Dying 1): Good idea
Squabbling Spirits: ATK
Tal (55/66): Go
Peldur (37/83): Go
Noroc (47/58): Go
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 31
Peldur rushes forward, sliding through the apparition...
But he's freaked out by the spirits.
He crouches low (Tiger Stance) and maneuvers around the thing (Step 10').
He then strikes out with glowy fists! (Flurry)
Tal bites down his concern for Elena and slides into the room. He targets black with a point blank shot at whichever Bibi previously hit...
, Damag on Hit:. He marks [black] as his prey.
Peldur and Tal both move out of the way, but not merely to let them pass.
Peldur struggles at first, but does get a clean shot in. Tal's arrow misses by a narrow margin.
ROUND 1:
Bibi (45/56): Crit + Hit
Carrufikus (57/68): Hit!
Elena (0/48, Dying 1): Good idea
Squabbling Spirits: ATK
Tal (55/66): Miss
Peldur (37/83): Hit
Noroc (47/58): Go
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 49
Noroc is aghast at the savagery of the apparitions' assault, and with a glance back at Carrufikus — take care of her, please — he charges into the room and furiously unleashes a storm of bolts and beams at the pair!
The spirit completely dodges the spell!
ROUND 2:
Bibi (45/56): Go
Carrufikus (57/68): Go
Elena (0/48, Dying 1): Go
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 49
Carrufikus quickly turns his attention to the wounded wizard.
"Hang in there, Elena! Help is on the way!"
The gnome quickly casts a two action heal to restore some of her health.
"Reinvigormend"
As a third action, he casts Guidance on Bibi.
"Let Desna give you some luck!"
|
Carrufikus hones his spell to help the fallen Elena before giving Bibi a boost.
ROUND 2:
Bibi (45/56): Go
Carrufikus (57/68): Heal
Elena (40/48, Wounded 1, Prone): Go
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black:
blue: 49
Elena's eyes open, and she remembers what she needed to do. She picks up her staff, stands, and moves in to let the spirits have a clear path.
|
|
Noroc's spell does strike the other spirit though! With help, Elena gets out of the way.
Carrufikus hones his spell to help the fallen Elena before giving Bibi a boost.
ROUND 2:
Bibi (45/56): Go
Carrufikus (57/68): Heal
Elena (40/48, Wounded 1): Out of the way
Squabbling Spirits: TBD
Tal (55/66): TBD
Peldur (37/83): TBD
Noroc (47/58): TBD
Location: The Arena
Black: 4
blue: 49
Bibi moves out of the way, and stands by Elena. She readies an attack if one of the spirits gets too close.
Both spirits give screams as they both rush towards Carrufikus!
....but then they keep going vanishing as they fly! Never to be seen again.
Elena breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Carrufikus. I feel alive again, which is no small thing."
She then moves into the room to study the window and the glyphs arrayed there.
Elena can't figure out the glyphs. She scans the room for magic, and the wall to the south registers.
Noroc heads to the south to check out the window, and scans the glyphs.
The south wall overlooking the arena isn’t glass, but transparent stone. The glyphs on the wall control the magic infused in this stone. A hero A creature manipulating the glyphs can make the wall ethereal (it still resembles transparent stone, but creatures and objects can pass through it), render it opaque, or change it back to transparent stone, as well as control what part of the arena it shows.