Masks of the Living God: Price of Immortality

Game Master polyfrequencies

Single move depicted on the map. If no threat is apparent he will continue north and then west with his second move action.

Median studies the lever a little bit longer: it's a wooden lever embedded in the stone floor, angled upward with a small leather handle on it. There is no clear indication about what it does.

Excited about the door, Winter moves forward at Silvio's ushering while Garen takes his light to the north. Almost simultaneously as they step into their paths, they ground gives way beneath them.

Garen Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Owens: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

The paladin and dog both fall, tumbling down into the darkness below...into a pile of pillows?

Garen Nonlethal Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Owens Nonlethal Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

It still smarts, but Garen has felt far worse. Owens, too, seems to have some practice with falling into pillows. But as they both look up from their hole, ten feet down, they or their allies will have to think of a way out of this...

A quick reminder about nonlethal. Track it separately.

When you move please indicate a direction (and preferably draw a path), and also roll a Perception check if you want your character to be looking for traps (which I recommend).

The holes are about five feet across, so it's a DC 5 to jump from one side to the other, or DC 10 if you don't take a running jump first. Don't forget armor check penalties, if you have them from armor, shields, or encumbrance. For instance, if Silvio tried to jump over the hole to his south, it would be DC 10 because he can't take a running jump.

To climb up, the base DC for Garen and Owens is 20. If they can make two successful DC 20 Climb checks in a row, they get up. Results of 15 or lower will cause them to fall back down, but thanks to the pillow they will not take further damage. There isn't enough room to get a running start for an Acrobatics high jump, so you're probably looking at DC ~32 Acrobatics to jump up high enough to catch a ledge. Feel free to think of other solutions.

Okay, Garen says Median, glad that there don't seem to be any skeletons around.

She is still contemplating trying the lever... just to see if it opens the door... but then hears (I assume) sounds of dismay.

Traps? She looks around herself, seeing if there are any in her vicinity.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Uh, you guys? Are you okay?

If she hears nothing, she goes back the way she came to tell Sledge what happened... that is the only direction she knows is safe (or at least it was), but if the people that fell tell her they need help, then she will tie her rope to the lever and start east, hoping that the lever will hold and she can use it to get people out of pits.

Her rope is 100 feet, so it should reach.

"By light what is going on. I can't keep my feet today." Garen says after he falls.

In response to Median, "I've been better. I've got a throbbing headache and more bruises than I can count." After he calms down a bit he digs his rope out of his pack. "Hey, I'm going to toss up my rope. Take an end around a column and let's see if you guys can haul me and my armor out of this hole." Garen says knowing the likelihood of him climbing out is slim to none and slim just snuck out the back door.

When presented with a rope, "Well, never mind about mine. Let me put it up." Then slowly ut surely he hauls himself out of the hole.

Climb check DC 5: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 2 - 4 = 9

"Fake traps?" says Silvio aloud as Winter and Garen fall into a pile of pillows. He's relieved as Garen makes his way up, but is definitely concerned about how Winter might do the same. "Poor guy, we'll get you up!"

He then looks toward Garen. "Mind heading down there to grab Winter? I think you're the strongest of us lot."

"Sure" Garen responds as he clears the mouth of the hole. He then helps the others rearrange the rope and goes down for Winter.

Climb down: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 2 - 4 = 7

Climb up: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 2 - 4 = 11

Good! Yes, the rope makes it a DC 5 climb check.

Fake traps? Or just less deadly?

Median returns to the entrance and then moves towards the lever, where she ties off the rope. Continuing east to help the others...

Median Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

...she fails to see the evidence of yet another pit and falls straight down!

Nonlethal Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

But with Garen's rope, Silvio is able to secure the rope around one of the pillars and help Garen up. Then Garen climbs down and gets Winter out.

Leaving the rope with the same anchor point, Garen drops an end down to Median. "I shall state the obvious, walk carefully and look where you step. One of these holes may not have a cushion at the bottom or something worse."

After Median gets out, "I'm considerably beaten about, I don't suppose either of you has any other healing spells do you? Even a minor one could make a huge difference if we run into more skeletons."

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

Climbing out, Median thanks Garen and then says

No, I don't have any more healing at all. That's why I said we should stop and rest... maybe we still should, in one of these pits. They already have pillows, and then we'll have a better chance if we run into any other skeletons... but either way we have to go back and tell Sledge. He's still back by the door with the donkey I think... waiting to hear how the scouting is going. I just got impatient.

"Alright-we need to move way slower here."

Silvio moves the long way around that Garen took, then checks the spot in front of the door carefully for yet more traps.
Take 20.

If it looks safe, he takes the step forward to the door. Moved to my final destination on the map, but won't go there if he sees a trap, obviously.

He then checks the door carefully as well. Another Take 20.

Finally, if the door checks out, he listens at the door, trying to hear what might be on the other side--especially whether it sounds like the wailing is coming from the other side of the door.

As Median climbs out of the hole and she and Garen begin to discuss the merits of resting, Silvio creeps forward and scours every inch of the walls, floors, and ceiling for signs of danger. This takes 6 minutes.

He sees no apparent dangers in front of or at the door. In fact, the door has no handle, nor any keyhole. It is certainly not trapped, as far as he can tell, but there is no apparent way to open it either.

On the other hand, the wailing is definitely coming from the other side of the door, crescendoing every couple of minutes from sobs and whimpers to an actual scream.

I believe Sledge said that it's finals week, so I'm just treating him as staying outside of the room for now, perhaps chatting with Khuvaan.

Median pulls the lever and tells Silvio to see if it does anything to the door.

Median pulls the lever and...nothing happens. For better or worse, this does nothing to either the doors or the pits. Or rather, Median can hear something (other than the incessant whines): there is some movement, a turning of a mechanism, though without any visual manifestation.

Median isn't happy about this area really, but it is way better than she expected with pillows in the pits... looks like the sham challenges she had been expecting since seeing the illusory orcs.

She turns around and goes back the way she came, updates Sledge, and then turns north, keeping her eyes open for pits, and figuring there had to be a trick to this place. They had to get that door open and find whoever was making that noise, or she didn't think that the group would ever agree to stop and rest.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

She left her rope trailing behind her, still attached to the lever, in case she fell in another pit and had to climb out again.

I put my character way north with green path indicated, although there are probably pits on the way. If she sees one or falls in one, feel free to move her back to wherever she saw it or fell in, and I will figure out a different path. Just trying to go faster than one square at a time. :)

Median moves carefully back through the maze of pits, finding two more pits as she goes: one between two of the pillars early in the exploration, and another further up as she continues to the north.

I have revealed two pillars that you found within 5 feet of your path.

Okay, that's as far as her rope reaches, so she leaves the end of it there, and tries to be more careful.

She takes a left turn and a right turn, moving slowly and keeping an eye out.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

"Come on--we need to gather here and get through this door!"

Silvio appears ready to try opening the door once the party is appropriately gathered.

Why gather? Do you think it is a strength issue? I was thinking it is some game... probably has something to do with the lever, but maybe there is another thing to do, like it opened a hidden door somewhere, or you have to pull two levers, or there is a magic key/token on a body in a pit or something? (That last part is less likely because of the pillows I think, but you never know.)

"Perhaps we can take a few swipes at it with the sledge hammer? The door that is. Or, since you heard something we can make a careful check in here and then go back to check the first room. Perhaps a concealed door opened allowing access." Garen suggests before carefully moving back to his donkey outside the room, retracing his steps, minus the pit, as much as possible.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Median nears another edge, but as she steps forward she thinks she must have seen most of the room by now. There's a bit more towards the--what had the compass-wielding types said?--northeast. But most of the room has been explored by now. There were plenty of paths between pillars that had not been explored. But unless there had been a particularly stealthy and crafty creature lurking about, she thinks that they are alone save for each other, at least in this room. Now, whoever was wailing to the south, that was another story. But it was also another room.

Garen, I have moved your token back out of the room as indicated in your post.

As Garen gets outside of the room, he sees Sledge over near Khuvaan, chatting away about something. Sledge has a hand on the rope keeping the donkey from wandering off too far. It doesn't look like either of them have noticed anything in the room (though they may be mildly distracted), but Garen doesn't observe any changes from when he was last in here.

Silvio, meanwhile, looks at the iron door. It would take a lot to try to break it down, but it might eventually be possible. Surely the village elders could not have wanted you to destroy the Crypt in order to solve whatever puzzles lay within.

[b]"I don't get it--I really don't. I guess we try to find more levers?"

Silvio starts backtracking and returns to Median. He then starts hopping forward, hoping to avoid pits he can't see.

Drew some blue arrows. Hoping I can Acrobatics Take 10 to hop forward. If not, please feel free to roll for me.

Since Silvio is exploring what seems to be the northernmost corridor, Median decides to take the next one down, again trying to keep an eye out for more traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Garen considers the room for a moment and then calls back into the labyrinth to Silvio and Median. "Hey, If you don't find anything in short order, there is the door to the west. We can try it and see if it circles around."

If Median can hear him from where she is, she calls back

Okay, but this is the side the wailing is coming from. If we are saying we can't get to it right now, then I say we rest first.

Garen had stepped off to grab his sledge hammer. When he returns, assuming Median follows up with her suggestion. "I wish we could but what if that cry is someone who survived the skeletons and was taken. The other side may circle around. For all we know, this iron door is a decoy. Perhaps the other side opens on a hall that can get us to the person making the noise. Admitted, there is the chance it is not a person making the noise but a thing. Can we take that chance? It would be horrible to find someone from our town back there, tortured or dead, particularly if we wait. Does anyone have the ability to treat our wounds? Perhaps that would be sufficient?"

I didn't recall there being the ability for the Heal skill to treat deadly wounds.

You can easily hear each other. And yes, I highly recommend the use of the Heal skill for both treating deadly wounds and long-term care.

Silvio follows in Median's footsteps exploring the northernmost section of the room while Median proceeds a bit further south of him. She doesn't notice any additional pits as she walks along. Meanwhile, Silvio adopts a hopping strategy, aiming more for luck than vision with the hiddenness of the traps, and...

Silvio Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 So close...

...his very first hop lands him straight at the bottom of the pit on top of a pile of pillows.

Nonlethal Dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 6

At the bottom of this pit, however, Silvio finds something. There is a small sack at the bottom of this pit. Inside are four platinum pieces and a small scrap of parchment that reads "Three to open, but be quick! The door will only open for those who work together."

Silvio also noticed, just as he was falling, a second switch to the north. Maybe that's what the parchment is hinting about?

As Garen calls out and Median replies, the wailing to the south...stops.

There are three more pits and one more switch to find. You're almost there! Garen, where are you moving to in the room?

Median is relieved that the wailing has stopped, but wonders why.

She moves cautiously south up to a pit they already knew about, intending to head back west to her rope, but she was certain there was going to be a pit somewhere... her theory was that the center of this maze was the key, or significant somehow. She thought there would be lots of pits around it, only allowing entrance from one side, but she wasn't sure which side that was... so she was trying to go more slowly and carefully.

To Garen she said

Well, I can't treat wounds. Ask the others. And let us know if the sledgehammer makes a dent on that door.

Garen walks over to the door by what has seemed a safe route up till now (blue arrow). After hearing of Silvio's fall and the ceasing of the wailing he says, "Alright, I agree we would be risking ourselves if we continue in our current battered condition. We need to rest and see what we can find tomorrow. Perhaps instead of wanging on the door we could try Silvio's note. Keep one person at the door and try each of the levers three times to see if the door pops open. Instead of using it as a hammer, maybe the sledge can act as a doorstop if the thing actually swings open."

As she moves around the outside, Median spots the last switch!

What do you do? Assume vague initiative. If you decide to jump across a pit instead of going around it, it will be a DC 5 Acrobatics check, or DC 10 if you don't have at least a 10 foot running start (e.g., if you're rounding a corner). Due to their speed, Garen and Silvio will take a -4 on all such Acrobatics checks. Winter gets a +8. If you fail the Acrobatics check, you will get a DC 20 Reflex check to avoid falling into the pit as you jump across it. If your path crosses a pit you haven't found yet, you may fall in, and I'll roll your Reflex save. You unfortunately cannot take 10 on these checks.

Median is surprised to find a switch over there rather than something in the middle, but she thinks, okay, maybe we have to do all the switches at the same time and that is what the note meant about working together?

Assuming that Silvio told us about the note since Garen already mentioned it in his last post.

She calls out to the others

Okay, let's try all three levers at once. Silvio on the north one, me on the east one, and Sledge on the southern one (it's right-left-right as you come in). Garen stands by the door to block it open if it works. Sound good? If that doesn't work, then we'll try each of them three times as Garen suggested earlier.

That's also depending on whether Silvio got out of the hole yet, or if he needs help.

"Owwww . . ."

Silvio's running and hopping strategy seems to have backfired horribly as he lands with momentum into yet another pit, experiencing severe wounds. "Some rope, please?" he says, after sharing the information about the three levers.

Once he climbs out, he gets into position. "Winter--go with Garen!" says the halfling. Silvio is ready to pull the lever as soon as everyone else is.

If no one can help Silvio faster, Median will backtrack all the way to the southern lever, untie her rope, then (using only squares she has traveled before), go and help Silvio out.

Then she returns to the eastern lever, ready to pull.

Botting Sledge for the moment.

Sledge wanders back into the room with Khuvaan and looks around at the other three of you bruised from falling into pits. He casts a light spell on his mace and moves towards the pit where Silvio is asking for help, hoisting him out with Median.
"No offense, Silvio, but if the note said to be quick, you're a little short to be running from the opposite side of the room. I'll take the long path up here. You go closer."

Khuvaan leans on the door frame, seemingly ready to help if needed.

Silvio, it's your choice whether you take his advice or not.

Everyone please give me acrobatics checks for any pits you're jumping over in your path to the southern door. Again, it's a DC 5 Acrobatics check, or DC 10 if you don't have at least a 10 foot running start (e.g., if you're rounding a corner). Due to their speed, Garen and Silvio will take a -4 on all such Acrobatics checks. Winter gets a +8 (but might not be making any from his position). If you fail the Acrobatics check, you will get a DC 20 Reflex check to avoid falling into the pit as you jump across it. If your path crosses a pit you haven't found yet, you may fall in, and I'll roll your Reflex save. You unfortunately cannot take 10 on these checks. Moving the donkey and Winter will be require two separate Handle Animal (DC 10) checks (from anyone). Jamming the door will be a DC 10 Disable Device check. Assume that you have one round's worth of actions.

Silvio nods. "You're right, Sledge," says the halfling simply.

But as he heads toward the southern lever, he looks toward their half-orc ally. "Khuvaan--would you be up for pulling the lever to the north? You wouldn't need to run in."

* * *

Regardless of how his request plays out, Silvio will stow his buckler, pull his southern lever and then hurry across the pit! Backtracking to get a running start, should have enough movement to get into the room in 1 round.

Acrobatics DC5, speed penalty: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 2 - 4 = 13

Median isn't planning to run for it and risk traps. If they can't get the door blocked open, then they could get trapped in there... for all they knew, that is what happened to the wailing guy. And rushing seems like the perfect way to damage them all further when they are already weak. None of it seems worth the risk.

She trades with Sledge, taking the northern lever so everyone else can rush to go through if they want to.

"I'm not sure how quick Sledge is but we likely need a faster person, with less armor, at the far lever. Even the close lever will be a little bit of a challenge unless the operator is spry enough to spring across the intervening hole." Garen says trying to ensure they have the right people in the right places.

I'm not sure exactly who is starting where, but it seems like you are all committed to throwing the switches at the same time. Sledge (who has a 30 ft move speed) offered to take the northern lever, and then Silvio asked Khuvaan to take the northern lever instead. Most recently Median decided to take the northern lever for herself. Unless I hear otherwise in Discord, I'm assuming that Median is up north, Sledge is due East, and Silvio is down South. I'll resolve any actions that have been declared.

Sledge and Khuvaan both move around the room as they, Median, and Silvio jockey for position. Garen, Winter, and Garen's donkey are prepared to move through the door if it opens.

"One..."

"THREE!"

With careful timing, Median, Silvio, and Sledge throw the levers simultaneously. There is a great grinding behind the walls, old stone gears turning together as Garen watches the iron door slide up into a recess above. Almost as soon as it rises up, it begins to steadily fall back down.

Silvio takes a few steps back away from the pit in front of him, stretching, and takes a running start towards Winter on the other side of the pit. He capably clears the distance, but wobbles back as he makes it across. Winter leaps forward and catches Silvio's shirt in his jaws, yanking him fully back across the way. Silvio is easily able to make make it across the threshold to the next room, shepherded along by the vigilant Iomedaean.

Silvio, you still have any swift or free actions you choose to take, and should act for Winter as well. It's a free action to Handle Animal for Silvio for Winter. I might recommend herd.

Median, Garen, and Sledge (if you can spare a moment), please declare your one round of actions.

Garen directs the donkey into the doorway and sets the sledgehammer up next to the wall, head down for balance to use as a catch to stop or slow the door. Since it doesn't listen, he drags it into the room by its reins.

Handle animal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

From the northern lever, Median double-moves towards the door, hoping that Garen got it blocked open.

Silvio dashes through, then turns around to see if the others can make it. It's clear that Garen is having trouble with the donkey.

"Winter--get that donkey through the door!" Winter will attempt to herd the donkey!

Winter knows Herd as one of his tricks, so with an automatic DC10 check, I think this just happens. The text says that you herd an animal away from combat, but hoping herding will apply where the existence of combat is not clear.

Garen, make a DC 10 Disable Device check to try to jam the door. Silvio, it's DC 12 because Winter has taken damage.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 1 - 4 = 8

Acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Uh oh. Should've let the DM's roll carry over... :')

Sledge, since you didn't declare a specific movement and said "uh oh" it reads to me that you were trying to jump without a running start. I'm going to resolve characters' remaining actions in alphabetical order.

Silvio: Handle Animal, Winter (link), Herd DC 12: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 4 = 13
Sledge: Reflex: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

At Silvio's urging, Winter barks and encourages the donkey to slip through the passage. Silvio, Winter, Garen, and the donkey all safely make it through. Median hustles, but takes a more circuitous path around the room. Sledge meanwhile tries to jump straight across the pit and ends up tumbling down into it.

Nonlethal Dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 5

The subsequent bruising as he tumbles ten feet down into a pile of pillows leaves the magus feeling dazed. So that had been what they had all been screaming about.

Meanwhile the door continues to close. The heavy iron gate hits the sledge and grinds to a momentary halt before the haft of the hammer bends slightly and is knocked out of the way. Before Median and Khuvaan can begin thinking about helping Sledge out of the pit, or Garen and Silvio can have second thoughts about separating the party, the door unceremoniously closes behind them with a shudder.

Sledgehammer, North side high, South side low: 1d100 ⇒ 74 The sledgehammer is on the side with Median, Sledge, and Khuvaan.

What do you do?

"How hard is it to jam a door?" Sledge grumbles, as he accepts the half-orc's help up.

Well, what's done is done I suppose. The question is... what do we do now? We have three people, so we could pull the levers again, theoretically, but then we're back to the same risk... having to leap over pits to get to the door before it closes, risk getting trapped in there, etc. Or, I guess... the tougher people are over there already, and Sledge, you look almost dead. We could rest instead, and then try again when you feel a little better.

Median waits to see how Sledge feels about the whole thing, willing to go either way.

"I think we should call out to see if we get a response from the weeping one or would you prefer to wait a moment to see if the others make it through?" Garen asks of Silvio.

As the stone doors close behind him, Silvio suddenly feels his mortality.

"Do the gods test us by leaving only us two here?" Silvio wonders aloud. "We can't call out, Garen--who knows what we'll awaken?"

Silvio quietly steps forward and peeks around the west corner, hoping he can manage to see.
Stealth, ACP, no buckler: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"There's a potion in my bag." Sledge gives to Median. "If I go down before we find Damira... well make sure it gets to someone important eh?" Sledge grits his teeth, and stands back up, glancing at Median as he does so.

"Don't start thinking too highly of me. This is purely selfish. And perhaps a little bit of a sunk cost fallacy. Now, how do we get through this door, properly this time? Perhaps someone on the other side could jam it, and we could take our time getting their and back again?"

Median accepts the potion and puts it in her bag.

I'm not enshrining you as my new best friend, Sledge, don't worry. But everyone deserves compassion, and there is good in everyone, including you. Thank you for thinking of others.

As far as the door... if you want to go forward now, there is no way to do it without risk, I'm afraid. We can't rely on anyone on the other side. That's what we tried before. This time, Khuvaan gets the north door, and you and I have no other choice but to leap pits and try to get through.

Both of us can try to block that door open if there is time, but we also need to admit that it might not work. It seems ludicrous, but maybe the door isn't susceptible to normal intelligent things to try, like putting something in the way. Maybe it requires some specialized locksmith knowledge to get around it. Hard for me to imagine that it could be that hard, but I don't see any other reasonable explanation, since Garen to my knowledge isn't an idiot.

On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence that whoever designed this place had some massive problems...

... Nevermind. Just been in a ranting mood for a couple of days now. I apologize for taking it out on you. ... In any case, you take the lever closest to the door. That should give you time to back up and get a running start to get over the pit. I'll go and do the middle one, and Khuvaan will get the north since he isn't planning on joining us anyway.

Get into position, and I'll yell when everyone is ready.