GM Michael's Emerald Spire

Game Master Dread

"Stop kicking doors in folks, it makes large amounts of noise and lets everyone know we're here. Also, we stay together, so we can't get picked off individually, and open one unexplored room at a time." Arthdane attempts to bring some order to the proceedings. "Nycholas, I assume from a lack of battle cries, there are no enemies in that room. Come, let us all join Ratel and search out the remaining goblins."

Ok, we have been in A8, A10, A11, A9, A6 and A7. Let's gather together with Ratel at A2, and then go around the perimeter clockwise...

Realizing the barricade was made of crates and barrels, Ratel begins moving the barricade, neatly staking it off to the left so they would be able to get through the opening. Chuckling as Arthdane tries to organize the crew.

"Nope. Nothin' in here."

Arthdane's plan works for me.

The barricade moved, The group formed up and looked at each other ...

Light on sword 6 min
Light on Bardiche 7min 2R

"Wonder why they put up a barricade in the middle of their fortress. Maybe this side's exposed to the open air." Nycholas says, kicking aside a bit of debris and advancing.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Ratel stands at the barricade made of crates and barrels and looks around as he thanks Arthdane for the drink. He can see the sunlight streaming in from an opening to the right and can see the hill slope down, making the connection that direction is the long sloping trail up the side of the hill that would have been the entrance had they not thought to go around the back way. He can see the offal of the Goblin dogs, and knows that this was where they would lie in wait.

Looking from the opening to the right, towards Nychlols, the big Wolfmane barbarian points towards the door. "That looks like the entrance we would have come up." Bardiche in hand, Ratel moves into the goblin dog kennel and to the door directly in front of him. Carefully checking the door, the proceeds to try and open it.

Can't tell if the door to A3 is open or shut, so opening it.
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Ratel moves across the guard point and to the open tower doorway. Inside he sees more offal from the strange dogs, grooming gear for them, bones haunches of game animals thoroughly chewed on, a few sleeping mats for their riders but otherwise the room is empty. to the right he sees another open hall.

Nycholas steps out(?) through the doorway and walks up to the small fire.

Is this the main entrance, then?

Thats my light symbol for daylight so it shines in. its not really there....yes

Nycholas lets out a long, low whistle as he overlooks the path out of the fortress. "Damn." He grumbles over the impressively laid out trail leading up the hill to the front gate "Remember to thank DiViri for telling us about the back door. Trying to fight up the trail to the front gate would have been suicide!" Nycholas says, returning to the gloomy interior of the tower and taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the supernaturally dimmed light before continuing on the course set out by Arthdane.

Looketh down the stairs.
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Arthdane moves forward to a spot between Ratel and Nycholas, leading his mule... With Ratel taking the left side (A3), and Nycholas the small passage forward to the stairs, that leaves Arthdane peering to the right (looking into A4)

Perception: 1d20 + 1 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 1 + 3 + 2 = 26
1 rank +3 trained +2 wis

"This approach would have been brutal, no doubt" - Edeldhur comments, while following the others.

So the enterance was A1, not the steps at the top of A4

Chuckling at Nycholas' observation, He gestures towards the 'tower room' "This looks like where the goblin riders quartered." as he walks towards the open hall to the right. Squeezing past Arthdane and the mule he moves past the stairs on the left toward the eastern side of the room.

Pausing he shines the light from the bardiche into the further room while joining the conversation. "Brutal? Probably. It looked like the riders would have attacked first. If we were outside they could have flanked us." He pauses. "I wonder how long it would have taken the metal creature to join them. Have any of you seen anything like that before?" While he talks he carefully observes the new room from the doorway.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
or not so carefully, maybe I will just start taking 10

"I wonder how long it would have taken the metal creature to join them. Have any of you seen anything like that before?"

I rolled Knowledge (Arcana) and asked GMMichael about it two times - he never replied... I think he is holding out on us :P

The young Pathfinder follows the others as he provides illumination.

As the party moves around the front of the Spires above ground fortress, they come to a chamber that is a large foyer tp what must have been the main tower entrance. The grand doorway leading outside is now a broken mass of green glass rubble. Crumbling archways lead to the north and south. Ahead is a round tower that is badly damaged, the floor strewn with gray rocks

Nycholas approaches some of the green rubble and kneels, picking up a piece and examining it. Turning the shard over in his hand, he mumbles "This stuff is supposed to be indestructible, even against magic. I wonder what's causing so much of it to break up?" He takes a moment to slip the glassy shard into his backpack for later study, then takes a peek into the crumbling tower.

Perception (room A5): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Ratel Dier wrote:

"I wonder how long it would have taken the metal creature to join them. Have any of you seen anything like that before?"

I rolled Knowledge (Arcana) and asked GMMichael about it two times - he never replied... I think he is holding out on us :P

hehe. I am holding out on you....No youve never seen anything like it. But you have heard that in Numeria there are similar creatures. Mechanical constructs. Clockwork Monsters.

As Nycholas moves towards the rubble strewn tower, Ratel moving carefully to avoid the rocks, heads towards the door to the south. "It's strange, these rocks are gray, where those over there are green like the building. Where did the gray rocks come from?" Inspecting the door for any traps, he waits momentarily for everyone to near before he open the door.

so moving slow, perception on the room and the door
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Arthdane leads his mules after Ratel, taking a position where he can support Ratel with his longspear if necessary.

Rooms we have been in tally: A1 (outside path), A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A11. There are stairs going down north of A4.

Arcanus, assuming we continue to follow Ratel, we are going to end up back in A6. Next might just be into A14, but that's looks like a likely spot for a trap to me. Thus, we could use your talents...

Ratel looks at the gray rocks on the green tiled floor and at the green glass lik walls and rubble and scratches his head looking around...then as he looks up he notices a canvas false ceiling about 9' up, with a rope thats been well camouflaged running along the edge of the veiling of the tower to disappear behind what looks like a wall on the north-east corner of the tower.

He points it out to Nycholas as he moves back to the dining halls door.

Ive sketched in the 'canvas' and 'rope'. Dont forget the two doors out of A11 to A12 and A13 respectively

.... Dont forget the two doors out of A11 to A12 and A13 respectively

I was headed that way :)

Pausing before he reaches the doors, Ratel gestures towards the rope. "Hey Nycholas, you may want to be real careful." Then looking back at the others. "Any of you feel comfortable trying to do something about that rope? Or should I try and cut it with my Bardiche?"

Arthdane replies "I think you should leave it alone. It's obviously some sort of a deadfall; pull the rope and whatever's up there will fall. We've killed the goblins around here, so there's no one to pull the rope and dump it on our heads. So no need to mess with it."

... a rope thats been well camouflaged running along the edge of the veiling of the tower to disappear behind what looks like a wall on the north-east corner of the tower.

So it looks like it disappears behind the wall?

Looking at Artdane, Ratel shrugs, "I don't mind moving on, But" Pointing towards where the rope meets the wall, Ratel observes. "It looks like the rope goes into the wall. Do you think their might be a door there or something?"

Ok folks, any opinions? Move on or investigate? I'm happy to open the next door if no one wants to check the trap.

Not one usually to take point in such kind of investigation, Edeldhur simply observes the area using a magical detection dweomer.

Casting Detect Magic because why not?

”I suggest we at least understand what is the purpose of this setup” - he offers his opinion - ”By checking where the rope leads to behind that wall - either a hidden chamber or a side room”

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Nodding, Ratel waits by the door to see if Edeldhur can figure it out. Not wanting the wizard to feel pressured, he calls. "Edeldur, if it's beyond us, we can continue checking the other rooms and come back later once it's safer."

After we're second level and Arcanus has disable device :)

The Group ignores the tower for the moment and passes into the room they had hurried through before

From this curving room, doors lead east and west and have bee left open. A passage leads south and a closed door leads north. The rickety table has a pair of dice on them and shoddy ceramic plates and cups.

For a moment there everyone was posting; opening doors and such, it was nice. So I posted Tuesday, waited a day to see if anyone else was going to post or not. Since GMMichael posted I assume it's ok if I go ahead and scout about. I don't mind leading the group around, but I have trouble telling if they like the job I'm doing or If they are bored and tired of me doing it so they don't post. On a separate note I got confused for a moment about the directions on the map, but if the "passage way" leads south, then north is to the right, and that door is the one Nycholas is standing by.

Chuckling at the dice, Ratel gestures towards them as he moves to the eastern part of the room. "dice, maybe their not as different from us as I want to believe." Shining the light into the eastern room A9 with the bardiche, he see's the open door leading to what appears to be A10 another room. Nodding his head that way, "I think if there was anything coming from that way it would have been here already." He turns towards the closed northern door. "Let's go that way." Checking the door quickly for traps he attempts to open it.

perception: 1d2 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

I had to stop work for a couple weeks while I waited for a backordered part, so I'm catching back up at work now.

"Yeah, I think anyone left up here will have fled by now." Nycholas offers.

I have drawn an arrow on the map; is what it is pointing at an exit from A6? If so, could you give us a description? It looks like it might be one, but too small for a medium creature (especially for my mule)...

Arthdane crowds up behind Nycholas and Ratel, unsure if what he sees is a passage smashed in the wall of the spire, or simply a trick of the cloying shadows...

I dont see the arrow?

After looking over the door for anything obvious, Nycholas opens it and sees a rough hewn passage looking more like a tunnel...like the one they entered through, it goes a short distance and turns back to the west.

Seeing the door open, Ratel nods at Nycholas, "I'll scout it out." Entering the cave like tunnel, Ratel follows it about twenty paces keeping a keen eye out.

double move, takes 10(15) on perception. I realize the "S" is there, if he doesn't see a door taking 10 (15) he'll call it a dead end and come back

Ok, I can't get roll20 to work here, so I'm improvising a bit... I will move my mule into A10 later.

"I don't think I can get a mule through that; heck I'm surprised Ratel can get through that. Give me a minute here." Arthdane ducks into the goblin dining hall (A10), and hooks the lead reins of his mule onto the table leg. Hoping this won't end up with a stolen (or worse, dead) mule, he rejoins the party....

Nycholas follows along.

As does Arcanus.

As the others prepare to enter the passage, Ratel moves in slowly to scout. He comes to the back of a piece of canvas draped across an entrance with a rope coming in near the ceiling tied off to a piece of wood with a slip knot. It would be easy to pull the knot and release it from the wood. He realizes this is the trigger to the deadfall in the entrance to the tower. A way for fleeing goblins to make it back to the guardroom.

Realizing what he had found, Ratel calls back, "Found the rope trap, I'm going to pull it so we don't have to worry about it later." Looking back over his shoulder he asks, "Is the donkey clear?" Once he gets the word that the donkey is clear he pulls the rope, hearing the rocks tumble to the ground.

Turning to Nycholas, he smiles. "That was sort of fun. Let's go check the two western rooms." Not wanting to push through his friends, Ratel waits till the hall clears out and follows them into the western rooms. A9 and A10

Its takes a short time to reverse directions and get everyone back into the Goblins dining hall. Besides the remains of a Coyote half eaten there is nothing of note within this room

Light on sword 5 min 5R
Light on Bardiche 6min 7R

For a moment there everyone was posting; opening doors and such, it was nice. So I posted Tuesday, waited a day to see if anyone else was going to post or not. Since GMMichael posted I assume it's ok if I go ahead and scout about. I don't mind leading the group around, but I have trouble telling if they like the job I'm doing or If they are bored and tired of me doing it so they don't post. On a separate note I got confused for a moment about the directions on the map, but if the "passage way" leads south, then north is to the right, and that door is the one Nycholas is standing by.

By default Edeldhur will not be doing any posts which require him to move first into a room, or face check a door or possible trap. He is too fragile for that, at least for now. for me it is expected that taking point will be done by a more... Burly type, or a scout. But I try to do my best to offer suggestions, comments, etc.

Edeldhur stays close to the others, nodding in appreciation as they uncover and trigger the trap. He gathers the dice, looking them over, and placing them on his pouch.

What symbols do the dice have GMMIchael?

Ninja'd by Edelhur, Sorry Edeldhur, I'm not say I expect our wizard to go in a door before Ratel. I was just saying that the game is more enjoyable when folks are posting.

Realizing they had gone full circle, Ratel went into the room where the clockwork monster and goblin caster had been. Gesturing towards the south where the had come in. "That's the direction we came in. If I remember there was a door to the east. Shall We?" Pausing he smiles, "What I don't remember is if we spiked this door." He then attempts to open the door into the room they entered.

The door to A11 is 'locked' so I'm assuming we may have spiked it, so just checking

The group proceeds into the makeshift laboratory and kitchen. Theres food stuffs for goblins,...dried beetles, smoked rabbit, bundles of wheat whole..., suspicious looking mushrooms, moldy carrots, odd looking jerky, then the lab has a variety of normal spell components You can replenish your spell component pouches). Then some make shift tools for working on the automaton.

Ratel moves to the spiked door, sliding the few corpses out of the way, and removes the spike with some difficulty, before opening the room to see the abundance of goblin corpses and the automaton. Theres the pair of double doors to the right and the single door to the left, besides the entry tunnel and the door to the barracks.

Nycholas tries what he believes to be the final unopened door on the ground level of the fortress.

A12.

Nycholas opens the the single door opposite the double doors and sees a A plush human sized bed standing in the chamber, along with a table holding a bone scroll tube and jars filled with eyeballs, claws, and teeth. Additionally there is a small green barbell looking thing. Much like the one Colin gave you when you took the job of investigating the spire. Various automaton parts lie scattered around.

"Found the clerics room. Guess he was the boss since he has his own room." Nycholas picks up the green stone, turning it over in his hands to see if it is similarly marked to the one Corwin had given them.

Arcanus stands just outside the room, hopefully providing more light for the fighter to see.

While Nycholas opens the single door to the left Ratel stays near the double doors, holding his bardiche high shining as much light as he can. Seeing there is not threat, he turns and inspects the double doors. Smiling he asks, "So we check the double doors and then it's ok to loot the bodies for any coin, right." He then tries to open the double doors.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

"Doors on the other side were going down, so that should lead to the stairs going up." Nycholas calls from the bedroom. "We should check the upper levels of the tower, first. Incase there's anyone left up there."

Can get into roll20 again; had to do a full system reboot!

Arthdane leaves his mule tethered to one of the tables in the dining hall (A9). When considering the clerics room (A12), he asks Edeldhur "Can you detect magic? I would not be surprised to find the priest had a stash of some sort." Seeing that Ratel has started on the double doors, he moves over to support him if there is trouble on the other side...

"Of course" - Edeldhur nods at Arthdane, moving into the cleric's room, his eyes tingling with magic.

Detect Magic.

Perception to search the room also: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22