DM Carbide's Core Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

I can heal someone by magic, but only once today.

1 CLW left, as I didn't used my Sleep spell earlier

"May Desna shine her healing powers on you all!"

Channeling to heal twice: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 6) = 9

"Oh, dear. That felt good even if I was not injured. I wonder if some get addicted to it. It's not addictive, is it? Naturally, I've read about it, and I don't recall anything about getting addicted, but I've also heard that undead could be called addicted to positive energy. Poor things."

"Yeah... undead sure love it. It gets them closer to their families in the afterlife," responds Tibearius, with a wink.

Mrs. Book shudders.

"Ick. There are easier ways of getting closer to the deceased than sucking the life out of the living. That is positive energy right? So confusing. Positive energy harms undead too, so which is it? Gah! So confusing. No offense Tibs, but I sure am glad I'm not a cleric."

Tibearius smiles. Following the path of faith is incomprehensible to most. That included him, up to a year ago, before Desna came to him in dreams.

"It's much simpler than that, dear B. You open yourself to your goddess, and she brings down the hammer to destroy the undead or to heal your friends. You're confused because all of those cultists channeling evil energies and peddling filth from the lower planes... follow the path of light, and life's choices become clear. Take it from me. My life used to be a complicated mess as I was under the illusion that I could somewhat control my destiny. We are pappuses adrift in the wind, my dear!"

Viridian thanks Tibearius ”Very much appreciated, to you and the path you follow. “

will save the 3 charges on wand

"Sounds similar to my path. I was a just a teacher and then a librarian and a sorcerous power found me. Infused me in a way. Less an external infusion than an internal discovery. Glad I'm not a wizard. The poor schmucks have to carry around 10 pound book and spend an hour preparing their spells every day. Too much work. Stuff just comes naturally to me and, from shat I've heard, the more comfortable I get with it the more I'll be able to do. Got to say though, the first time I did that color spray thing was a disaster."

I'm just an artist, dwelling mostly in cities, interested in history, nobility and people.I admit I feel quite out of place in the wilderness, in this tower in the middle of nowhere. I'm a little less educated in the ways of the diverse faiths, but I'm willing to learn. I just happen to know a little bit of many things.

Mrs. Book's history as a school teacher kicks in and she encourages Corbrae with heard earned philosophizing.

"Good for you. A breadth of knowledge is always useful. Life throws the strangest thing at you at the strangest times. I'm sure that even in this gods-forsaken tower that will come in handy."

"Thanks for the healing."

Joseph listens to the conversation as his eyes glaze over.

Where to now?

Nothing disturbs the party during the process of distributing cures. (At least, not as far as anyone can tell.)

What do you want to do now? There was some talk of a strategic withdrawal to resupply.

Tibearius takes position with this longspear 10 feet south of the door. "Let's go people!"

Mrs Book moves to a location back and to the side of Tiberious, looking over his shoulder as it were, or would be if she was tall enough to do so.

"Ready when you are."

Before we go on, who has light sources and where are they holding them?

Mrs. Book cast a light spell on the tip of a Tibearius's spear (at least I think it was his. If it wasn't, it is now). She will also light up a torch and carry it.

Viridian nods

”Ready!“

Just waiting on Joseph and Corbrae.

Joseph shakes off his clothes a bit.

"Yea, Let's go."

Viridian checks the door

Perception : 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

Viridian hears nothing at the door, nor does he find anything out of the ordinary (whatever ordinary means in this context). Opening the door reveals a lot of darkness. Unlike the rooms the party has been in before, the floor of the next room is strewn with rubble, and looks like it will be difficult to navigate.

Tibearius casts light on Cheese Slicer in front of him.

Mrs. Book, who is stuck at the back of the procession, has to peek around the corner of the doorway to see anything, which isn't much with all the darkness going on.

"Well, what do you see? Or hear, I suppose."

”Mainly loose rubble on the floor. Watch your step In here. “

Advancing into the room, the party notes a narrow passage leading to the southeast, while the room appears to extend to the north past the limit of vision.

Corbrae follows silently, renewing her light spell when needed

Nothing disturbs the party as they explore the room. It's a badly damaged curving hall with single doors in the north and east walls (as well as the door the party entered through); there's also a set of double doors in the curving west wall. The southeast corner of the room has collapsed in a mound of green glass rubble, but a tunnel runs through the debris, shored up crudely but effectively with rough timbers.

The tunnel leads to the outside of the tower, and the outside entrance is covered by a screen that's painted to match the rubble.

Very interesting on painting to match the rubble. Almost if to hide something.

Viridian comments as he inspects the screen and area.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

Mrs. Book approaches and stars into the tunnel dubiously.

"Huh. I always heard goblins were stupid but cunning. This strikes me as something more than cunning. We should check out the tunnel, I suppose, though I'm not volunteering unless there is a warm bath waiting for me."

I didn't describe this well...the tunnel is open and obvious from the inside, and the screen conceals the outside end from casual observation. They apparently didn't want anyone sneaking in through their emergency exit, or something like that.

That's what I got too. How long is the tunnel? Still think we should check it out so we know where the escape route leads and can find it from the outside. I assume we cannot tell where the exit is unless we poke our heads out through the screen?

Correct. Since there's nothing of interest in the tunnel, I assumed that the party had checked it (hence the description of the screen at the far end, which isn't visible from the inside room).

Fair enough . Would still have checked it…especially if we need a quick getaway :)

”Looks like a concealed exit. Are we continuing in or anyone need a rest? Blitz and I are fine either way. “

He scratches the wolf between the ears.

"Onwards! I couldn't possibly rest without knowing what lies beyond the next few rooms!" says Tibearius, lonspear at the ready.

Blitz rubs against the druid's leg. Long inured to such things, Viridian keeps his balance.

Assuming that you use the SOP described in the Discussion thread:

Viridian checks each door in turn, starting with the double doors and going clockwise. He detects neither traps nor noise at any of them.

The Druid motions all clear and proceeds forward with spear in hand, pointing to first door on left with a shrug. If nobody stops him, he opens it .

on phone and was able to move Blitz but not Viridian…diagonally NW to lower double door..

I moved everyone; lemme know if I got everyone right

thanks …looks good to me!

The doors open smoothly, and on the other side is something...strange. Stairs wind upward to the right (that's not the strange part), curving around a glowing cylinder of semitranslucent green stone with a different color and texture from the material the rest of the building was constructed from. It seems that the Azlanti tower was built around a core of some other material--a spire within a spire.

The glow from the Spire core illuminates the stairs.

"I say we check those other doors behind us before we go upstairs. I'd hate for one of these little sneaky buggers to sneak into our back row!"

”Agreed. By all that is green, I do not relish the idea of leaving more of those goblins behind us. “

He will about face to the far door opposite.

"Mmmh. Or perhaps their leader is up there and if we take him out the goblins will flee. Personally, I'd rather go right for the jugular."

That door (at which the druid heard nothing before) opens to reveal something rather more ordinary than a glowing green pillar--the usual dense darkness. However, nothing disturbs the party as they explore the chamber. Its dominant feature is a plush bed sized for a human, although it appears from the smell to have been occupied most recently by at least one goblin. Next to the bed is a small table, on which are jars filled with eyeballs, claws, and teeth from various sorts of creatures (including humans). There is also a bone scroll tube on the table. Scattered across the floor are parts that are built in the same style as the mechanical arm the party found earlier.

Guessing at your next action: The scroll tube has no magical aura. It contains a sheet of parchment on which is drawn a complicated sigil in iridescent green ink.

Next to the pattern is a small symbol which none of the party recognizes.

"Well... that's sumthin'... maybe we'll need this symbol at some point... let's check the next door."

Know Arcana, Bardic knowledge: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5

Sorry, I do not recognise this sigil. Never seen it before. Can't understand the langage either

The next door opens onto darkness, as expected, along with a waft of unusual chemical odors (perhaps less expected) and a goblinoid squeak of distress.

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Enemy S-acted
Tibearius
Viridian
Joseph
Corbrae
Mrs. Book
Enemy C

The squeak of distress is quickly replaced by chanting.

Everyone can act!

Mrs. Book pulls out a scroll and does her best to target the area the chanting is coming from with a sleep spell.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

A Bless spell... someone is calling in the favors of the gods!

Viridian steps to the south of Ms Book and readies to spear any goblin or other hostile stepping thru

”What is that smell? “

on phone on train riding home so cannot update map