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Ok, that brings you around to this room described here. DC 20 Knowledge (geography):
The mural on the northern wall depicts the armies of Bakrakhan on the shores of what is known today as Hollow Mountain. DC 30 Knowledge (planes): Tthe monster that dwells in the caves deep below is a representation of one of Runelord Alaznist’s most powerful allies, the nascent demon lord Yamasoth.
Cordwin will quickly follow the others. Or his distant cousins, Gundar! So, on down to the room that Khalid had discovered earlier! Behind you, you hear the explosion as the fireball goes off again!
Gundar: It's a statue!
The group goes about searching the room with the statue, about a minute into doing so, they hear an ominous <click>.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. That alone was strange. Most traps the party had encountered announced their presence immediately: the snap of a mechanism, the click of a pressure plate, the sudden flare of magic. This one waited. Verilich had just enough time to realize that something was very wrong. The air around him shimmered. Heat surged beneath his feet, and for the briefest instant the wyvaran understood that he was standing directly at the center of whatever had just awakened. Then the world became fire. A tremendous sphere of flame erupted around Verilich with a deafening WHOOOMPH!, swallowing him completely. The blast expanded with terrifying speed, filling the chamber from wall to wall before rolling out through the passages at either end. Ancient stone vanished behind a roiling curtain of orange and white, the sudden heat washing through the corridors like the breath of a furnace. Ghaernan disappeared into the conflagration as well, engulfed before there was any opportunity to escape. At one edge of the blast, Gundar stood barely beyond its reach, the flames blossoming to within scant feet of him before curling back upon themselves. On the opposite side, Khalid watched the inferno fill the passage several feet ahead of his position, close enough for the sudden wave of heat to wash across his face without the flames themselves reaching him. Then, almost as quickly as it had appeared, the fire collapsed. Smoke and waves of heat hung in the air. And at ground zero stood Verilich, scorched by a trap that had given him just enough warning to understand exactly what was about to happen—and nowhere near enough time to do anything about it.
1) Nothing with the stone. 2) Nothing when Verilich went past. 3) I assume flying, he always insists he is flying
Round 1) Verilich passes through the room, uneventfully? Anyone else, or on to round 2?
Ghaernan: It's fireball
Khalid followed the passage south as it bent through a short series of turns, leaving the others momentarily behind as he cautiously rounded the final corner. The corridor opened into a long hall. A row of massive stone pillars marched down its center, dividing what had once clearly been an important chamber. Between them sprawled the wreckage of an immense magical laboratory, abandoned for untold thousands of years. Time had reduced most of its contents to ruin. Stone worktables had cracked and collapsed beneath their own weight. Great urns lay shattered across the floor, their contents long since turned to dust. Rusted cauldrons, some large enough for a man to crouch within, rested crookedly among heaps of debris. Everywhere Khalid looked, fragments of ancient glass glittered faintly in the available light—broken tubes, bottles, flasks, and stranger vessels whose original purposes were impossible to guess. Whatever work had once been performed here, it had been conducted on a considerable scale. But it was the northern wall that demanded Khalid's attention. An enormous mural covered much of its surface. Across the lower slopes and shores of a mountainous island, great armies assembled. Yet these were no ranks of ordinary soldiers. The ancient artists had depicted hordes of deformed monsters, twisted humanoids, and demons, gathered in seemingly endless numbers beneath banners and standards. Some creatures appeared warped into unnatural shapes; others were unmistakably fiendish. Above them towered the mountain itself. At its summit, the stone had been worked into the enormous, regal face of a woman, gazing out over the assembled hosts below. From just beneath her visage sprang an immense bridge, arching dramatically outward across the waters beyond the island. Yet the mural did not end at the surface. The artist had rendered the mountain almost as though its side had been sliced away, exposing a tangled network of caverns and passages descending beneath it. Those tunnels twisted downward through the earth until, far below the mountain, they reached an enormous subterranean vault. Something waited there. A vast monstrosity of writhing tentacles filled the depicted cavern, the appendages curling outward from an enormous central maw lined with terrible fangs. And from deep within that mouth stared a single angry red eye. Even rendered in ancient pigment and stone, the thing possessed a disturbing sense of presence—as though the mural depicted not some fanciful nightmare of ancient Thassilon, but something the artists knew was actually down there.
Khalid doesn't believe that he has disabled it, but he did, at least, move gingerly enough so as to not set the trap off, whatever it may be!
Before putting their strength against the jammed eastern door, the party decided to finish what they had started and investigate the passage they had passed earlier. They backtracked and turned south, following the corridor for perhaps fifty feet. Their footsteps echoed through the ancient stonework until the passage opened abruptly into another chamber. The room was almost entirely bare. Almost. Standing at its southeast corner was another imposing statue of Runelord Alaznist, the ancient ruler's likeness now becoming unsettlingly familiar. Here she was depicted as a regal, beautiful woman poised for battle, her expression stern and imperious. Both hands gripped a long ranseur, and unlike the more ceremonial depictions they had encountered elsewhere, this Alaznist looked ready to use it. Her stone body leaned subtly into the stance, the ranseur extended before her so that its wicked point was aimed directly toward the northern entrance through which the party had just arrived. For anyone entering from that direction, the effect was unmistakable: they walked directly toward the point of the Runelord's weapon. Dust lay thick across the remainder of the chamber, and nothing moved beneath Alaznist's ancient gaze. Beyond the statue, another passage opened from the southern wall, continuing deeper into the darkness. Perception DC 15: There is some sort of magical trap associated with the point of the spear.
The party drew together once more, checking weapons, packs, and wounds before pressing onward. With the mysteries of the ancient mechanism behind them for the moment, they chose the descending stairs and began making their way still deeper beneath the Irespan. The broad Thassilonian steps carried them down into colder air, where the smell of damp stone grew stronger and the distant sounds of the world above seemed impossibly far away. At the bottom, they resumed their familiar right-hand rule, following the passages methodically. A corridor soon opened on their right, but rather than turn immediately, they continued a short distance farther to a closed door. A quick examination revealed nothing immediately threatening. The door opened. Five grotesque figures waited beyond. The creatures were familiar now—nupperibos, their misshapen bodies little more than twisted skeletons draped in sagging, waxy flesh. Their spears came up with the same dull, mindless obedience the party had encountered before. The resulting battle was more tedious than dangerous. The fiends' unnatural flesh stubbornly resisted many of the blows landed upon them, and they fought without fear, pain, or any apparent instinct for self-preservation. Still, they were the least of Hell's servants, and against the combined efforts of Khalid, Caius, Verilich, Ghaernan, and Gundar, their fate was inevitable. A couple of minutes later, the last nupperibo collapsed onto the stone floor in a sagging heap. Only then did the party have an opportunity to notice something unusual about the chamber. The sea. Its smell was remarkably strong here. The unmistakable scent of brine hung heavily in the air, startlingly fresh this far beneath the earth. Even more tellingly, salt encrusted portions of the stone floor, forming a pale, irregular trail that led directly toward the southern door. Here and there, thicker deposits had collected in cracks in the flagstones, as though seawater had repeatedly passed through this chamber and evaporated. There were two obvious ways onward. The southern door, toward which the salt trail led, proved readily enough to be unlocked. The eastern door presented a different problem. Its latch and lock offered no resistance, but when tested, the door moved scarcely at all. Something on the opposite side appeared to be jammed firmly against it. The ancient door could probably be forced open, but doing so would require considerable strength. Behind them lay the passage they had bypassed. Ahead lay two doors—one apparently leading toward whatever had brought the smell and salt of the sea into these buried halls, and another whose contents someone—or something—had apparently barricaded away.
Ghaernan: You determine two things, 1) both tapestries are covered with some sort of preservation magic, that has kept them perfectly intact over the centuries 2) Within the rod suspending the first tapestry, you detect the presence of a wand of lesser restoration (17 charges). It will take a slight bit of effort for the group to get it out of the rod, but no rolls needed.
Verilich withdrew the brass crank from his pack and stepped up to the pillar. Holding it beside the triangular opening for only a moment, he found the fit was perfect. The metal slid into place with a satisfying, almost seamless precision, as though the two pieces had been separated only yesterday rather than for millennia. He wrapped one hand around the handle and began to turn. At first, there was resistance. Then— ...clunk... Somewhere deep within the pillar, ancient gears awakened. A low vibration hummed through the stone beneath his feet as mechanisms, untouched for untold ages, began moving once again. Dust sifted from unseen cracks in the ceiling, while the pillar emitted the slow, deliberate rhythm of heavy machinery coming to life. KRRR...RRRNNNK... The carved Sihedron rotated with the crank, each quarter turn accompanied by the muted grinding of exquisitely crafted stone bearings. Half a turn... One full revolution... Two... The sounds echoed away through the silent halls. THUNK... KRRR... CLACK... Remarkably, there was no screech of rust, no snapping of corroded metal. Whatever artisans had built this mechanism had done so with a mastery almost beyond belief. Despite the passing of thousands of years, every gear meshed cleanly, every hidden counterweight moved with measured confidence. Verilich continued turning. Three full revolutions... Then another half. As the Sihedron's upper point finally rotated into its proper orientation, pointing proudly toward the ceiling as every other Sihedron they had encountered, something much larger answered. From the western passage came a deep, resonant BOOM. The heavy brass portcullis shuddered. Hidden chains tightened somewhere beyond the walls. Massive counterweights shifted with a sonorous RUMMMMMBLE, and the gate began to descend. CHUNK... CHUNK... CHUNK... Its thick brass bars slid steadily downward through their ancient guides until, with one final authoritative— KRAAANG! —the portcullis settled firmly into the stone floor, sealing the western passage completely. Silence returned. Only the faint vibration of the recently awakened mechanism lingered in the air.
Curious, Verilich leaned closer still. What he had first taken to be a round hole at the center of the symbol was nothing of the sort. It was triangular. Not merely a rough opening, but a precisely shaped triangular socket, its edges cleanly cut and unmistakably artificial. A memory surfaced immediately. The brass crank recovered earlier. Its end... the end was triangular. The realization came together in an instant. The crank hadn't simply been a loose piece of ancient machinery. It belonged here.
With the strange fly-fiend incapacitated behind him, Verilich slipped quietly through the eastern passageway, his wings folding tightly against his back as he entered yet another forgotten chamber. This room immediately felt... different. Unlike so much of the ruin, whose furnishings had succumbed to rot and collapse, this chamber still retained much of its former dignity. Though the centuries had left a fine layer of dust over everything, the place possessed an unmistakable air of importance. Two shallow alcoves flanked the eastern wall, each furnished with a stone bench that had been carved directly from the surrounding rock. Hanging above each bench was a remarkably well-preserved tapestry, their colors somehow surviving the passage of countless ages. Verilich's eyes lingered upon the woven scenes. Both depicted the same breathtaking vista. An immense mountain, its summit carved into the serene face of a beautiful woman, rose proudly above a limitless sea. From the mountain's base stretched an enormous bridge, a feat of engineering so vast that it seemed to stride across the ocean itself. Nestled beneath the mountain lay a strange and magnificent city, its towers and terraces unlike any architecture Verilich had ever seen, radiating outward in elegant geometric patterns. At the center of the chamber stood a solitary stone pillar, its smooth northern face carved with a symbol the party had encountered time and again throughout these ancient halls— A seven-pointed star, each arm perfectly proportioned around a small circular opening at its center. The carving was crisp, almost untouched by time, as though the stone itself refused to weather. Beyond the pillar, occupying the room's western exit, stood a heavy brass portcullis. Though dulled by age, the metal still possessed a warm golden sheen beneath the dust. Its thick bars disappeared into grooves in the ceiling and floor, securely sealing the hallway beyond. The room was silent. Not the oppressive silence of abandonment... ...but the quiet of a place that had once been revered. A place built not merely for passage, but for remembrance. DC 25 Knowledge(history):
The tapestries both depict the city of Xin-Bakrakhan at its height DC 25 Knowledge(arcana or history): The Sihedron is presented with a point straight down rather than straight up—an unusual departure from how the image is normally displayed
Caius' strike against the imp finishes the threat.
The accuser devil had: The ancient zither is a work of art and a true treasure of Thassilon worth 500 gp. The silver coffer is worth 100 gp and holds 22 gp, 175 sp, and 312 cp.
Verilich's strike drops the accuser devil.
Khalid misses the imp. The ugly devil bites Verilich for 3 damage and 2 acid damage and then takes a 5' step to the SE, getting him into the relative safety of the corner.
Crit Confirm Failed to confirm
Round 7 LB
The imp again moves in to strike Ghaernan with its tail.
Days vs Ghaernan
Round 6 Khalid <== Up! Round 7 LB
Round 6 LB
Ghaernan's body wracks with pain from the poison.
Khalid again hits the imp, but his strike is blunted. The ugly devil bites Verilich for 3 damage and 6 acid damage.
Caius misses the ugly devil, barely. Ghaernan misses the imp with his bullet, but only due to the debilitating effects of the poison in his body.
Round 6 LB
Khalid strikes the imp as it moves to attack Ghaernan, again, his attack isn't as effective as he might have expected. The imp continues into close proximity with Ghaernan and attacks him with its tail, again piercing the bard's defenses, and injecting him with some venom.
Round 5 Khalid <== Up! Round 6 LB
Ghaernan shrugs off the effects of the poison, and fires at it, barely missing. Caius hits the Devil, but not for as much damage as he'd have thought. Verilich fails to grapple the stunned Devil. The imp moves in to attack Ghaernan, which provokes an AOO from Khalid.
Round 5 LB
Ghaernan:
DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10. It's worst save is Will. SLAs: Invisibility, Summon others like itself, and you're sure it has other SLAs. Ghaernan's bullet strikes the devil, doing full damage. The previously invisible imp rematerializes next to Ghaernan, and sticks him with the spike on its tail. Ghaernan can feel the insidious poison from the creature's tail enter his body with the stroke.
vs Flatfooted Ghaernan
Round 4 Khalid <== Up! Round 5 LB
Round 4 LB
As you move to where you can see this creature... DC 13 Knowledge(planes):
This is an Accuser Devil Round 4 LB
Verilich slipped through the partially open door with practiced silence, his eyes adjusting instantly to the dim chamber beyond. The room appeared almost domestic compared to the ruins and torture chambers the party had explored thus far. A low wooden table occupied the center of the room, flanked by two simple benches sized for creatures much smaller than humans. Dust coated most surfaces, but signs of recent use remained. Leaning against one bench was a strange stringed instrument, its design archaic and unfamiliar, with a curved body and a neck carved into the likeness of some forgotten beast. The room was not empty. Hovering a few feet above the floor was a grotesque creature unlike anything Verilich had seen before. Its upper body resembled a fat, naked human infant, complete with pudgy arms and a swollen belly. The resemblance ended at the waist, where its flesh gave way to the bloated abdomen of a gigantic housefly. Four buzzing wings beat furiously behind it, and enormous insectile eyes dominated its face. A long proboscis twitched beneath a mouth far too wide for an infant's features. The thing had its back partially turned toward the door and was in the midst of casting a spell. One chubby hand traced glowing sigils through the air while it muttered harsh syllables in Infernal. "Vrakketh... ul nar..." The incantation never finished. Verilich exploded into motion. Crossing the room in a blur, the wyvaran monk launched a devastating punch directly into the creature's face. The impact snapped its head sideways with a sickening crack, and the spell collapsed into harmless sparks. The bizarre fiend let out a startled buzz, wings flailing wildly as its eyes rolled back in its head. Then it simply hung there, swaying drunkenly in the air. Stunned. Its spell forgotten. Its defenses shattered. And Verilich stood directly in front of it, ready to strike again.
The conversation inside the room comes to a stop, but a new sound emerges, the clear sounds of a spell being cast starts, and continues. Round 4 LB
Verilich, Caius, and Ghaernan hurried down the corridor, following what they believed to be the path taken by the invisible imp. The hallway terminated in a row of three stone doors. The two doors to the left were shut tight. Both appeared designed to swing inward toward the corridor, but the leftmost door looked particularly neglected. A mound of broken masonry, loose stones, and rubble had been piled against its base, wedged so tightly that opening it from this side would require significant effort. The third door, however, was different. Set slightly apart on the right-hand side, it stood ajar by several inches, a narrow wedge of darkness visible between the door and its frame. And from beyond came voices. Harsh. Guttural. A deep voice growled something from within: "Vrash'thul nar keth bazhul..." Another replied in a higher, rasping tone: "Keth! Keth! Seznah ul vakh! Nar bazhul! Nar bazhul!" A sharp hiss followed. "Tharix vel korum. Bazhul dar'keth. Churrak vel..." The speakers sounded agitated—perhaps arguing, perhaps merely conversing in the naturally unpleasant cadence of their language. Whatever the case, there was more than one voice beyond the partially open door. The corridor fell silent around the adventurers as they listened. Something was happening on the other side.
Round 3 Khalid <== Up! Round 4 LB
Round 3 Gundar
Round 3 Gundar <== Up!
Round 3 Gundar <== Up!
Yes, in the previous round. You were able to use Step Up and AOOs to foil the one you just killed.
Round 2 Imps
Round 3 Gundar <== Up!
Verilich slashes the poor imp in half, and its guts splatter all over the landing.
Ghaernan moves up the steps and can see down the hall to where it appears there are three separate arches, unfortunately the invisible imp, remains invisible. The remaining imp, tries to escape from Verilich, but provokes an AOO...
Round 2 Imps
Round 3 Gundar <== Up!
Round 2 Gundar Go Team!
Verilich successfully steps up, and strikes the imp as it tries to go invisible. His hit doesn't hurt the creature as much as expected. Verilich misses twice with his flurry. --------------- Round 1 Khalid <== Up! Round 2 Gundar <== Up!
Between Gundar and Khalid, they take out the remaining Nupperibo.
Having been attacked (unsuccessfully), or having watched his buddy get attacked, the two Imps back off, becoming invisible with an audible *pop* as they do so.
--------------- Round 1 Khalid Round 2 Gundar <== Up!
Caius slices cleanly through the nupperibo t his left, despite its enhanced defenses against material wounds. Ghaernan:
The remaining nupperibo steps forward and jabs at Caius with its spear, but misses.
--------------- Round 1 Gundar <== Up!
The party continues to the west, encounters some steps going up on their right. A quick inspection confirms that this leads to the room with the Alaznist statue that had held the ranseur. Continuing west, the corridor turns south, and then heads east again before opening up into a small rotunda, with a balcony above. Down below are two of the disgusting nupperibos, and up above are two imps, who immediately order the nupperibos to attack the party. --------------- Round 1 Gundar <== Up!
As Ghaernan touches the pillar for the first time, he fills a slight shock of pain and recoils from the touch. Ghaernan: You receive a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 24 hours.
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