DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

Will delay until I see something

Viridian?

”By the Green .It is some kind of unnatural moving statue or metal creature “ he calls

Viridian moves with Blitz into the room to attack

”Attack!“

The wolf rushes in and bites…

+1 magic bite: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 4 + 1 = 18 for bite: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9 (plus trip)

trip? : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Followed by the Druid…

CI scimitar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 slashing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

But his scimitar gets caught on furniture

cannot update map on phone

Updated the map.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Blitz bounds in and bites the creature, dragging it to the floor. As it goes down, Viridian's scimitar slashes through the air where its head was.

It stands (drawing AoOs from both Viridian and Blitz), then hits the wolf for 9 HP.

Everyone else can act!

Knowledge: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 1 = 24

Special attacks and defenses

Once she can see it, Corbrae immediatly shouts

A clockwork servant! I've seen a few of these in engineering books!

Joseph moves into the room and follows Viridian's lead.

plink: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
piercing: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Mrs Book moves forward ot the entrance and plinks it with a magic missile.

damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Corbrae recalls that they're vulnerable to electricity and can shoot nets to entangle opponents at range.

Waiting on the AoOs from Viridian and Blitz.

Viridian and Blitz take the opportunity to attack the creature as it stand.

”Stay down! “

CI scimitar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 slashing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
bite: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19 for bite: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7 (plus trip)

Blitz growls in pain Then swing again…

CI scimitar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 slashing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
bite: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 1 = 19 for bite: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8 (plus trip)

As the clockwork foe begins to stand, Blitz savages it again. Its metal shell turns Viridian's scimitar aside, though. Joseph tags it with an arrow as Mrs. Book does a little more damage with her magic missile. Corbrae calls out what she knows about the enemy.

Round 2 (ongoing):

Viridian notices that small mechanisms inside the construct seem to be repairing it. Once again he can't damage it, but Blitz undoes the repairs and more. It keeps its balance when the wolf tries to drag it down, though. Then it slams the faithful wolf once again for 10 HP.

Everyone but Viridian can act!

Mrs. Book switches from using her wand to dishing it out with the magical energies from her own body.

damage: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6

The clockwork servant falls to Mrs. Book's spell.

Out of combat, and done with the level! Unless you want to go back to the crypt and fight a wight, anyway.

Wights are no fun. They drain levels so, no!

Nope. Pass on the wight.

Viridian will patch up Blitz and check the room

perception : 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

There's nothing hidden in the room--everything in it is obvious. As to what's there, most of the records kept in the room are genealogies, ledgers, and other historical accounts. The sheer variety present suggests that they were stolen, as does the purpose for which the information seems to be put--in a locked ledger (whose key was found on the body of the cleric), blackmail information has been extracted from the mass of documents.

The rest of the gathered documents consists of fragmentary versions of Norgorber's holy text, Words Behind the Mask, which the cleric seems to have been trying to collate into a definitive translation. She apparently believed (based on the marginalia) that passages of the standard text were added or altered by enemies of the faith, and hopes to restore the "original" text.

Everything in the room can be sold (justifying some of the gold you're getting with the chronicle).

Mrs. Book examines the array with an eye towards organization. After all she is a librarian.

"Interesting. These will undoubtedly fit in someone library quite nicely."

Know religion: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 = 14

Corbrae is already perusing a tome of old genealogy

Too bad i don't own yet my own place, I'd like to keep a few of these books.

”By the Green, nothing should be trusted from the likes of Norgorber.
You are welcome to the tomes, genealogies and books.
They will not be doing any good here. “

He will load Blitz up with the sellable goods for town.

The party returns to town and sends a detailed report to Absalom and the Grand Lodge.

That's it for the level. Viridian, it looks like you now have a day job--please roll for it, so I can finish the chronicles.

day job trapper: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Viridian hunts a bit on the return to town, mainly for food for Blitz.

” By the Green it is good to be outside-of that tower.“

Over the next few days, the party rests up and waits for items from the Grand Lodge. The Society representative, Salvio, eagerly records what happened. Eventually, though, you feel ready to return.

Descending from the bandit lair, the stairs lead more than three hundred feet down. However, somewhere around the two-hundred foot mark Blitz starts whining and sneezing, apparently noticing something no one else in the party catches. Over the final fifty feet of the descent, though, everyone can smell something foul--an acrid, nauseating reek with musky, reptilian undertones that grows stronger with each step down. In addition, everyone can see a faint greenish glow from below, though it's not the same color as the Spire core.

Finally, the stairs end in a small chamber of smooth, hewn stone lit by a dim greenish light from two strange, torchlike devices set on the walls. In the middle of the north wall, a metal door with a simple latch mechanism glows with the same light. The walls and ceiling are decorated with drawings and writings in bright colors. They're abstract, but somehow in the odd light they look alien and disturbing.

Everyone, DC 13 Fort saves or sickened.

Leaning against the wall near the metal door is a reptilian humanoid wearing a colorful leather tunic and carrying a walking stick.

The humanoid grins (carefully keeping their teeth from showing) and speaks in guttural Common. "We welcome you to Godhome. You wish to make sacrifice now, or visit? Take holy grub, maybe?"

fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
kn local: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Well, this is new. Met at the front door. Does this grub taste anything like what I'm smelling?"

Mrs. Book's face is screwed up into a look of disgust while her nostrils flare.

The creature sniffs at the air. "I can't smell the holy grub here. Don't know what you're smelling."

Well, to each their own, but if his sense of smell is so badly skewed, then his sense of taste is probably akilter too.

"I'm going to pass on the holy grub. I take it you are open to visitors? Or do you have to do that holy grub thing to enter this, er, temple?"

She puts particular emphasis on temple like she is making whether this place is a temple a question too.

"Yes, visit is good. No need to eat holy grub to sacrifice to Godbox, though."

Viridian and Blitz turn away from the stench...or at least try.

By the Green, are you the keeper of this box?

fort: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 viridian

fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 wolf

Fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Know local: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 2 = 16

Even if she hasn't seen it, Corbrae recognise the horrible smell of troglodytes, which makes her sick despites her best efforts to resist.

She desperatly looks for something in her backpack

If we still have the masks from the precedent level, now would be a good time to use them.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Could you tell us what kind of sacrifices appease the Godbox?

Corbrae, with that check you know that troglodytes are usually far more hostile than this.

"Give the god some iron-metal, and it will bless you and send you on your way! All good visitors make gifts of iron-metal to the god!"

"Well, I do have an iron pot, some eating utensils, and a bar of steel to start fires with. How about the rest of you? Want to do the sacrificed thing? Far as I'm concerned you can't be on the good side of too many gods. Unless... Who is this a temple to? Not some god of death or pain or anything like that, right?"

"This is not a temple. It is the place of Skraa-orm thagh, the god in the box!"

The explanation does not really help and Mrs. book has a confused look on her face.

"Well, uh, OK. What does this box-god do, then?"

Viridian is still coughing but is equally puzzled.

Can you show us the box and how it works?

fort save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Joseph tries not to breath too deeply.

"I wouldn't mind seeing a god box."

Missed a reply.

To Viridian's earlier question, the troglodyte shakes its head. "Savisk, she is priest for godbox." To Mrs. Book, it replies, "Thagh feeds us holy grub and clean water, and its other servants protect us." At Viridian's second question, the trog nods again. "Yes! Follow me and I will show you!"

The creature opens the door and leads you into a smaller room with several openings. See map. Through one opening you can see a room containing a large stone vat. A pair of troglodytes are in the room; one is touching up the wall designs, while the other one scoops pink paste out of the vat and eats it. On seeing your guide, they wave as you pass. "That place of holy grub. You sure you don't want any?"

Twenty or thirty feet past the opening, the guide stops at a metal door in the north wall. Past it you can see the intense glow from the Spire core where it protrudes a little way from the south wall.

Pausing for reactions before going on.

Is the door open?

Not yet. I wanted to make sure that no one was going to try the holy grub.

Your guide opens the door, revealing a room dominated by a hexagonal, metallic structure about ten feet wide and almost twenty-five feet tall. The structure glows greenish-white. All kinds of gears and armaments are stuck to its silvery sides, including dozens of weapons, shields, and pieces of armor, as well as lanterns, buckles, and tools. To the north and south of the object stand two large stone statues, each depicting a troglodyte with its arms upraised in adulation. Four copper-colored metal doors lead out of this chamber, one from each corner of the room.

Once anyone reaches the door:

Joseph peeks around the corner.

perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

And looks down at his armor in a confused manner.

"My armor is being pulled. Not hard though. Weird."

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

It's true... I feel some pull on my sword too

"From that distance? Wonder what it would be like if you got close."

”Thank you but will pass on
The holy grub for this visit. “

perception : 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34 Viridian looks into the room

” I cannot wear metal armor but my scimitar is likewise being pulled.“

Mrs. Book takes a fork from her mess kit and tosses into the room.

I suppose the fork is iron and not pewter ^_-.

The fork is pulled into the room, accelerating towards the structure and impacting with a metallic clink. Your guide smiles again, still pointedly not showing teeth. "You are a good visitor, making sacrifice to godbox! But more is needed for so many of you." The troglodyte hefts its walking stick. "You need to give iron-metal weighing as much as eight of these. Then the godbox will open the way to continue down."

It's two pounds of iron per person.

I may be mistaken, but one of our first formidable foe was covered in metal. Couldn't it be a fitting tribute to the Godbox?

GM: didn't we defeat a metallic construct at the first level of the Spire? Could we use its body as a sacrifice?

You did. You could also use the clockwork servant from the third level; it's a shorter trip. (Also, the construct from the first level may have contributed to the money on the chronicle.)

"A worthy sacrifice I'm sure. Yes, let's do that and keep our pots and pans"

Unless someone says otherwise, let's assume we go foraging for metal.

"A good idea. Lots of tribute."

Joseph will help carry it.

If no one has any other ideas:

The party bids a temporary farewell to their guide and retreats to the clearer air of the next level up. There they find that the remains of the clockwork servant are still where the creature fell. After pausing to rest and eat (that is, if the holy grub hasn't permanently removed your appetites), you once again descend. This time, a different troglodyte waits at the bottom of the stairs, but your previous guide has obviously told them to expect you. One quick toss later, the broken clockwork joins the other metal items clinging to the outer surface of the structure. After the echoes die away, the room is silent for a moment before a deep hum sounds from inside the glowing object. It stops as suddenly as it started, followed by two distant metallic clicks from the northeast. "Thagh has accepted your offering! Glory to the god in the box! You may pass!"

Believe it or not, that's it for the level. You won't get as much experience or treasure than if you'd killed the troglodytes and deactivated the godbox, but since this is one of the levels they recommend Slow progression for it's not that big a deal. Day Job rolls in the Discussion thread, please, and let me know if you want to buy a hex.

By the Green! That was much easier than I anticipated!