Back in the entry room: Andirke pulls out his bow and lets loose an arrow at the gem. The arrow strikes the emerald square and the gem pops out of the mouth of the serpent idol, rolls off the edge of the stand, and falls into the water.
Aroden casts dispel magic and temporarily gives relief to everyone from the tug at their mind.
Lucifer and Ting:
Lucifer and Ting continue to stealth through the corridor. Lucifer gets to the corner and peers around. The corridor continues another 20 feet before turning to the left. Ting thinks he might be able to disable the trap if he can find the correct place to do so, though the trap looks pretty elaborate.
@Aroden: There is just the aura from the idol. It is a Moderate Aura.
@Orovan: You don't see any other exit from this room other than the 2 staircases.
Lucifer and Ting:
Neither of you notice any traps. The room is illuminated (as was the entry room) by green glowing stones affixed to the ceiling. You both slowly make your way about halfway down the corridor.
Forgot about Detect Magic being cast (we'll go 1 round at a time). Aroden definitely detects magic in the room
Lucifer and Ting reach for the gem at the same time. Right before they touch it they disappear.
Lucifer and Ting:
Reaching for the gem, you are instantly teleported.
You snap out of the charmed effect and realize you are both in the corner of a 5' wide by 8' tall coridor.
The narrow corridor ahead has a strange serpentine pattern of green glass embedded in the floor. The pattern runs 40 feet to the end of the corridor before turning left to head out of sight.
You all make your way back down the path to the lodge and report your findings to the Venture Captain. You have a nice hot meal and the next day head into Fort Inevitable to gear up.
After taking a couple days to make sure everyone is healed up and well rested you make your way back to the spire. You find your way back down to the set of stairs beyond the barred door and start down. . .
The stairs spiral downward only about 40 feet before opening up to a small chamber.
Across this small chamber from the ascending staircase, another staircase winds down into darkness. Off to one side is a calm pool of murky water with a pedestal in its center. Atop the pedestal, a golden serpent idol grasps an emerald in its fangs.
Andirke seems to be talking to himself as the fey that was in the room is long gone. In about 2 seconds it zoomed between everyone through the secret door in the previous chamber and out of everyone's site.
It is four times faster than a human or tengu.
Ting takes a look at the barred door and doesn't find any traps or hear anything on the other side. The tengu lifts the heavy bar on the door and opens it revealing a staircase descending into the dark.
You have found the exit to the next floor of the dungeon. Congratulations, you have completed Level 7 of the Emerald Spire!
Outside of a couple axes and javelins on the ogrekin, there's nothing in here but piles of refuse. As you all enter the room a small creature appears in the corner of the room and with unnatural speed zips by everyone mumbling in a foreign language.
Aklo:
"#%$^ this. I ain't getting killed for them."
@Aroden: Your See Invisibility doesn't apply to this.
We are getting to the end of this floor of the Spire. Please roll day jobs if you have them. Also confirm that you would like to continue on down deeper into the spire.
Ting doesn't find any traps nor does he hear anything through the door and he proceeds to open the door when everyone is in position.
Four stone pillars support the lofty ceiling of this chamber, each patterned like writhing serpents. Between two of the pillars is a large hammock. The room was once beautiful, but is befouled with piles of garbage, bones, and excrement in every corner.
The door on the opposite side of the room is barred from this side.
In the room two big humanoids with twisted features and rotted sharp teeth. They look as if they are ready for someone entering the room and both throw spears at whoever opens the door. They then grip the axes in their hands.
50% Miss Chance Orovan AoO:1d100 ⇒ 37 50% Miss Chance Andirke:1d100 ⇒ 71 50% Miss Chance Lucifer AoO:1d100 ⇒ 75 50% Miss Chance Orovan:1d100 ⇒ 71
Orovan moves out of the way of the brunt of the lightning bolt and Lucifer manages to avoid it all together.
Orovan's attack misses its mark as the creature's image dances away from his axe, but he steps to the creature and his second attack strikes true imbuing chaos upon the naga.
Lucifer's AoO strikes true.
Andirke connects with his attack and the naga hisses in pain.
Aroden slaps Ting awake.
Orovan's
Lucifer still has a turn since Aroden was successful at waking Ting.
Ting is awake. Prone and weapon on the ground, but may go .
Andirke 50% Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 49 Orovan 50% Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 51
Ting succumbs to the poison and falls asleep, his sword clattering on the stone floor.
The creature seems to shimmer and move as a flurry of arrows stream from Andirke's bow. Thinking the last one is going to hit the creature, the arrow passes right through the spot she was a second ago.
Aroden Hastes everyone.
Lucifer spins around and stabs at the creature with his shortsword, but the sword hits nothing but air.
Orovan makes his way around the corner and swings his axe at the shimmering creature and connects, slicing a gash in the naga.
Not liking being between enemies and getting a flurry of arrows, the naga moves around to the east side of the room and casts. A bolt of electricity flies forth from the snake in a line through Orovan and Lucifer.
Electricity Damage:7d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 1, 5, 4, 3, 4) = 22 DC 16 Reflex for half.
Aroden, thinking he sees the Awakener herself, immediately casts and Dispels the Invisibility from her.
Right behind Lucifer is a large dark purple snake-like creature with a humanoid head. She seems to shimmer as well, almost as if she is jumping in and out of focus.
Slowly creeping from behind the pillar, moving right behind Lucifer is an invisible large dark purple snake-like creature with a humanoid head. She seems to shimmer as well, almost as if she is jumping in and out of focus. As she is too focused on its query to notice that you see it, you get a Surprise Round action.
@Andirke: The mosaic appears to be made from the same green glass material as the pillar.
GM Screen:
1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20
@Aroden: The mosaic detects as magical, but from what school of magic you're not sure.
As the party is exploring a voice echos through the room, "Have you come to seek the wisdom of the prophet? Swear allegiance to the Awakener and my prophecy will be but the first of the gifts you receive!"
Andirke glances through the books, but doesn't have time to see if there's anything of use.
Lucifer, having the door right behind him pointed out, finds it clear of traps and opens the door.
Double doors stand in the south wall of this huge temple. On the left and right of the door are six alcoves, some empty and some with rough bedding on the floor. In the center of the main chamber is an enormous pillar of green crystal. A narrow pit circles the pillar an a stone serpent is wrapped around it, its head aflame. In the back of the chamber is a raised altar, and behind it a wall mosaic pulses with green light.
Searching the serpentfolk, you find: +1 rapier, Pearl of Power (1st Level), and a Gold holy symbol of Kro'akoth.
In the room there is a large library of books written in Aklo. In the desk you find a small leather pouch with 3 rubies and a handful of platinum and gold. There is also a large, stone serpent's fang about a foot long.
Andirke also spots a secret door right behind Lucifer.
I will be out of town for the next 10 days on vacation. I will most likely be out of any technology range. I'll be back on the 20th.
Ting Tang wrote:
Hey Gimble, a couple of questions from the game thread, what is a "Spire Transport Token" and, the falchion the salamander was making, anything odd or interesting about it?
Ting tends to "collect" odd or interesting bladed weapons he has found in adventures, so was just curious about it...
The Spire Transport Token is similar to the one you got from the venture captain. It allows you to teleport to various floor within the spire instead of having to hike all the way down and all the way back up.
There was nothing interesting about the blades the salamander was making. They looked unremarkably similar to those the troglodytes were wielding.
Sorry I took so long to get these questions answered.
Aroden and Orovan move into the room and assess the situation. Ting takes a big whack at the snake hitting it. The hit distracted it enough to let go of Lucifer who steps away. Andirke sees an openning and lets loose a flurry of arrows. One of which strikes true and the serpentfolk falls.
The snake will step toward Lucifer and take a bite, but it can't make its way over its master's body.
Bite:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Initiative Round 2 (Cont'd) Orovan (46/52 hp) Aroden End of Round
Serpentfolk have moderate SR and have spell-like abilities that scale as they grow and get stronger. Most serpentfolk have blur,mirror image and suggestion. Stronger serpentfolk can have dominate person, major image, mass suggestion, and/or teleport.
Ting takes the serpentfolk by surprise and his next attack strikes true as he positions himself for Lucifer to flank. Andirke lets loose a volley of arrows and Lucifer steps out of hiding and strikes the serpentfolk.
The serpentfolk staggers and steps just north of Lucifer. He then stares at Andirke.
Acrobatics:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Andirke:
You need to make a Will Save DC20. If you fail you are under the influence of Dominate Person and hear a voice in your head "Kill the other Tengu."
CRB for Dominate Person wrote:
Once you have given a dominated creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth).
As the serpentfolk steps aside a Constrictor comes crawling out from under the bed and bites Lucifer, then begins to coil around the wayang.
Ting, not there to worship Kro'akoth and catching everyone by surprise, charges straight at the threatening serpentfolk hitting him with his bastard sword.
Lucifer makes it in the room unnoticed, but as Ting and Andirke enter the room the serpentfolk looks up from his book and smiles, "Well, well. What do we have here. Well, you have come here for one of two things: to join me in the adulation of Kro’akoth the Awakener or to die. Which is it?"
Silently, Lucifer opens the door as Ting and Andirke quietly file behind him. Aroden and Orovan fall back around the corner.
Peeking through the door Lucifer sees:
This room is an octagon with a middle section sunken down a foot. In the center are a desk and chair surrounded by four candelabras. To the west, the walls are lined with bookshelves. To the north, a bed rests against the wall. To the east are two basalt statues whose heads are wreathed in fire.
There is a serpentfolk standing at the table in the center of the room. He seems to be occupied by the tome in front of him to notice the secret door open and the wayang peer inside.
There's not a lot to hide behind. Moving to another hiding spot will require another stealth check. The serpentfolk is also facing your direction, though doesn't seem to notice any intruders . . . yet.
You don't see any traps, but Andirke and Lucifer both see an unusual indentation on the west wall. They can easily assume by the scrape marks on the floor that it is a secret door.
Andirke doesn't know much about Kro’akoth except that their name was mentioned in the entry hall, by the salamander, and now by this serpentfolk and has been referred to as the Awakener by them. All he recalls about Ydersial is that their an old god long dead.
Thinking better of letting him loose, the group leaves the serpentfolk in his prison and moves on.
Lucifer silently moves down the cooridor and peeks around the corner to see an open room:
This chamber is full of statues. In the center is a basalt statue of a serpentine figure, its head wreathed in flame. A dozen smaller statues are clustered on the floor. These depict a different serpentine figure, but all the heads have been chopped off. A pathway through the statuary leads to double doors on the north wall.
As Andirke speaks to the serpentfolk in the cage, he rants furiously, "I have given myself to you, Kro’akoth! Ydersius is a living corpse and not fit for worship. Not like you, my lord and master! Give me freedom and I will fight in your name!”
Andirke can see that he has been tortured to near death and is mentally broken from the ordeal.
The degenerate serpentfolk each have a heavy mace on them and one of them has a key.
Ting moves up and swings his sword, but misses entirely.
Andirke moves into the room and looses an arrow at the serpentfolk in the back and the creature lets out a snarl as the arrow is embeded in its shoulder.
Orovan moves into the room and readies himself for battle.
The serpentfolk swing their maces and then try to bite those next to them.
Unless I'm missing something, Andirke had to use a move action to get into the corner of the room (the door is in front of Lucifer) so I believe he cannot Flurry.
Chains dangle from four iron rings set into the stone of this room’s eastern wall, and small knives and hooks hang from pegs nearby. Blood stains the floor beneath the chains. There are four doors to the north and four more to the south, each with a small, barred window.
Two brutish looking serpentfolk turn toward the door as it opens and a third serpentfolk is in a jail cell cowering in the corner.
