I make a brief search of the hallway before turning and saying "Looks clear. Right or left?" I ask, looking between the archways.
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Did someone want to check for tracks, as was suggested by Shariv? If not, how would you like to proceed?
You exit the raptor room through the eastern door, and following the 10' wide marble hallway. It goes east for 20', then takes a 90 degree turn and heads north for another 70' before narrowing and turning east again. After a short distance, the narrow hall widens back to its previous width as it turns north again. Apparently the architects didn't like long straight halls... Taking a cautious look around this last corner, you see the following: - An open archway on the west wall, approximately 30' down the hall. - An intersection to the north, approximately 50' down the hall. This intersection has a pair of open archways (presumably leading to different rooms) at the north end, and a hall continuing to the east.
Rauno hasn't posted in a while either... Well, lets keep this thread bumped to the top of the forum for a day or two, and then we'll proceed with whoever we have left. *And in the meantime, you survivors can discuss which way you'd like to go. There is a doorway to the west of your entrance through the ventilation shaft that wasn't opened yet. And another closed door on the eastern wall of the Abyssal Raptor room. (And my wife seems to have overwritten our maps on the website with more baby pictures... I'll get the map as (you know it) posted up on photobucket or something soon so you have a better reference)
Sorry guys, I've been busy and away from the computer over the weekend. I'd assume this is done unfortunately, or at least on hiatus. We seem to have lost half the party. But if you want to continue with a reduced party, we can do that. We'll just rule the non-posting PCs go explore a different part of the complex.
Nope. Xer was blinded, and the raptors then ignored him, going for Berekiah and Rauno primarily. There is the doorway to the east across the room. Or you could reverse your path and go out the door you just came in, and then through the hallway, past the opening to the ventilation shaft, to the western door you originally decided to skip.
You note that on the raised platforms on the north and south ends of the room, there are what appear to be portals to other places. The first is a barren wasteland under a scorching sun, while the second is to a primordial jungle teeming with life. However, the portals appear to be visual only, as nothing can pass through them. You can however see raptors, quite similar to the ones you killed, moving about in the distance of the junglescape.
Berekiah pounds his opponent mercilessly with his spiked chain, driving it to the ground under a flurry of blows. When the raptor attempts to stagger to its feat, one last devasting strike to the head drops it for good. Nearby, Rauno launches a barrage of arrows into the raptor attempting to maul him, and this time multiple arrows find holes in the wounded raptor's hide. Gushing blood from multiple puncture wounds, the last raptor tumbles to the ground.
What do you do?
Both of Shariv's tosses hit the mark, with the southern raptor now seeming even more unsteady after taking another hit. Roaring in saurian rage, the northern raptor whirls and attempts to eviscerate Berekiah through his dwarven mail. Melani, Xer, Rauno and Berekiah are up next. Both raptors are looking pretty beat up at this point.
Adaro peeks around the corner, and points his finger at the Raptor attempting to disembowel Rauno. 4 scintillating streaks of light shoot forth from his hand to blast the raptor, noticeably staggering it.
Everyone gets +3 HP from Fast Healing Shariv is next
Melani nods in answer to Xer's question.
"Did I hit the damn thing or not?!" I shout from the floor, readying another arrow.
Quick Summary: Melani moved and healed Rauno.
--- The Southern Raptor, heavily bleeding with several arrows sticking out of its hide, lunges at Rauno in a desperate attempt to slay its assailant and stop the barrage of arrows. And it hit, landing talons first on our beleagured archer. --- Adaro's turn, then everyone gets +3 HP from Fast Healing (Thanks to Melani) as it rolls back to Shariv at the top of the initiative order.
You can get into position to heal anyone without drawing an AoO.
Xer's turn, then Rauno, then Berekiah
The Northern Raptor struggles to rise from its precarious prone position before Berekiah and Shariv, but Berekiah viciously beats it down with his spiked chain.
Melani's turn
Xer's arrow flies wide of the mark, but luckily doesnt' hit one of his comrades. Didn't get a high enough attack role The Southern Raptor roars in fury and darts forward to attack Rauno, who continues to pelt it with arrows. The raptor's movements are thrown off by the arrows in its hide, and it only lands a solid blow with one claw.
Adaro's turn
Rauno fires off a trio of arrows in quick succession as he moves backwards out of range of the southern raptor's slashing claws. One arrow goes wide over the lunging dinosaur's head, while another deflects off its scaled hide. The third arrow does find a weakspot in the raptor's scaly underbelly, and buries itself to the fletching. Berekiah twirls and lashes out with his spiked chain while in mortal combat with the northern raptor. While he is unable to land a solid blow on the agile beast, he is able to drop it prone after a strike to its right leg.
"Thats wonderful Sunshine but MY EYES ARE SCREWED UP NOT RUANO'S!" I shout from the floor, now groping around for my bow.
The southern Goblin Lancer (nearest the door) pulls another wand from his belt and touches his wound with it. A flare of light later, and its wounds are partially closed.
The northern raptor turns from Berekiah to attack the latest foe to injure it, Shariv. Shariv tumbles backwards to avoid the raking talons and vicious bite, but still is slashed twice by the raptor's claws.
Adaro's turn
And now its Shariv's turn as we start the next round
The southern raptor starts to charge the party, then veers to the left to attack the archer who hurt it. Rauno, standing in the doorway to the room, tries to avoid the ferocious assault, and partially succeeds. A single claw slash and a wicked bite take chunks out of Rauno, but he successfully avoids the disemboweling talon strike of the leaping raptor.
Berekiah's whirling chain snares the goblin lancer and pulls him off the raptor mount. A quick pair of strikes with the spiked head of the chain leaves the goblin battered and unmoving on the ground.
The ivory and obsidian wand flies out of the astonished goblin's hand, and a heartbeat later two more arrows bury themselves to the fletching in the chest of the raptor.
Both goblin lancers will lower their lances, and pull wands from their belts as their saurian mounts charge into battle. (Neither has a shield, I'll post a pic up on the website right after I finish this post.) One targets Xer, while the other targets Rauno. Can you both make DC 13 Fortitude Saves please.
The two goblin riders clutch their wounds after Shariv's Throwing Spike barrage, but they still cling to their mounts. The NW Raptor charges and launches itself through the air at Berekiah. The raking rear talons and bite scrabble against Berekiah's dwarven-crafted armor, but the forearm claws lash out and score wounds against weak points in Berekiah's defence.
Adaro's turn
As Berekiah walks into the room towards the door at the eastern end of the room, the others follow him. Berekiah, Shariv and Xer are in the room , while Rauno is just in the doorway itself. Melani and Adara are still in the corridor. Xer looks arounds as movement catches the corner of his eye in the smoky NW corner of the room, in an area that had been out of line of sight from the doorway. At the same time, Berekiah hears the scrabble of claws on marble. "Beware!" Berekiah calls as he unlimbers his spiked chain. From the NW corner of the room appears a charging scarlet raptor, devilish claws reaching forward to eviserate you. On the back of the raptor rides a winged goblin wielding a lance. A similiar raptor/goblin pair also charges from the SW corner of the room towards the party.
Can I get a marching order for when you guys head into the room. So far it looks like Berekiah in the front, followed by ???
Aside from the magic emanating from the two demonic visages (conjuration), there appears to be sources of magic (conjuration and transmutation) in the two corners of the room along the north wall.
At first glance
To either side of the room's central dais, stone carvings of demonic visages yawn, their open maws revealing two different and hostile terrains. There is another door along the eastern wall. If you look at the north and/or south demonic carvings more closely:
Spoiler:
The opening to the north shows a verdant jungle of fungus that serves as a battleground between enormous insects and gargantuan reptiles, while the southern maw shows the same landscape with the jungle burnt away, leaving nothing but skeletal fungoid trees and an ash-charred landscape.
You don't detect any traps on the door.
Melani concentrates, and while the door itself doesn't seem to radiate magic, there is definitely multiple sources of magic behind the door, but within range of her spell.
The door is darkwood bound with iron, and while securely built, doesn't appear to be locked. You detect the faint scent of exotic-smelling smoke, like spices or incense are burning.
Rauno nods to the right-hand door. "Right. Always go right. Shariv, you still taking point, or you want me looking for nasties?" The Varisian is holding his bow and considering an arrow, obviously wanting to know if he should prepare for combat or serve as point-man."Keep an eye out for danger, I'll go first."
Rauno examines the arrangement of gears and spinning blades carefully, then deftly inserts a tab of soft lead into the machinery. The blades noticeably slow down then halt completely as the gears try to chew through this obstruction. Rauno figures it will take at least a few minutes before the blades start spinning again, but the lead shouldn't cause any permanent damage to the machinery.
Shariv avoids all the spinning blades and is now crouched in the shadows at the far end of the ventilation shaft. You can see that the ventilation shaft intersects a hallway in a "T" junction. The hallways is crafted of finely cut white marble, with 8' high ceilings. There is a closed door, darkwood reinforced with steel bands, at either end of the hallway.
For Shariv, and anyone else that follows him down As you near the opening in the cliff face, you can fell the onrushing air being sucked inside. The opening is more than large enough for a man to fit through, and once inside, it widens considerably into a worked tunnel. Ten feet in, the tunnel divides into three shafts, each filled with multiple man-sized turbine blades that spin lazily, driven by rumbling gears. You think you could time it and dodge past the blades (Tumble), or perhaps temporarily jam the gears to slip past (Disable Device). Of course, smashing the blades and/or gears is an option as well, albeit not a stealthy one. Peering past the twirling blades, you can see a hallway of smooth white stone, brightly lit by continual flames every twenty feet. The ventilation shaft is very dimly lit by moonlight from outside, and the light from the hall.
After a few hours of searching and bribing (or intimidating) locals, you manage to find a window in the outer wall of the Core that is roughly above where Tirana’s complex is supposed to be located. The window was barred, but it is only the work of a few minutes to chip away the mortar holding the iron bars in place. Leaning out of the edge, you can see what you think is the ventilation shaft opening ~30' below. Warmer air from inside steams slightly in the cool night air, helping to mark the location where the shaft opens. A faint toehold of a ledge is also visible. Below the opening in the cliff-face for the shaft, the cliff descends vertically for roughly a quarter mile before it begins to slope outwards towards the plans. A waterfall can be heard off to your right, as one of the streams flowing from Kaer Maga's spring-fed lake gushes over the side of the cliff. It would be easy enough to secure a rope here in the room.
Yes, that should be fine, Gadka can provide that. |