As soon as you grab the chain and start your climb up, you can make out that this alcove's ceiling is ten feet higher than the others. More importantly, as you near the top, you spot an opening leading to a passageway to the northeast. Big enough for a medium creature to pass through.
I cautiously advance to the body and kneel down to search it. I turn in time to see the burst of flame and shout back "Is anyone down?"
Upon hearing that everyone is alright I shout "I'll be ready to move on in a moment. I found a body down here."
I cautiously advance to the body and kneel down to search it. I turn in time to see the burst of flame and shout back "Is anyone down?"
Upon hearing that everyone is alright I shout "I'll be ready to move on in a moment. I found a body down here."
"I think everyone's fine," says Harlon hesitantly, in a shaky voice. "Dalzig? Kharid?"
Seeing that his companions appear to be alright, Harlon (with Hector once again perched on his shoulder) joins Dalzig, standing on the tips of his unshod toes and starting to hop up and down in a vain attempt to peer, with great caution, inside the opening between the sarcophagus and its lid, to see if anything remains therein following the flame blast. Hector protests loudly at the violent motion, and soon flits off of Harlon's shoulder to find a new perch on the orange lantern.
Rend climbs almost the entire way up the chain, but stops when he reaches an opening.
Also, using darkvision, Rend peers into the passageway, looking mainly for any signs of movement.
Sorry guys. I got waylaid by a stomach bug, among other things.
Right, back to the game.
I cautiously advance to the body and kneel down to search it. I turn in time to see the burst of flame and shout back "Is anyone down?"
Upon hearing that everyone is alright I shout "I'll be ready to move on in a moment. I found a body down here."
Shamus, just as you notice the eight-pointed star cloak clasp and reach to grab it, the raven swoops by and snatches it up in its beak.
Other than that, the body seems to have already been looted.
Good enough to tell that the sarcophagus is completely empty.
Rend climbs almost the entire way up the chain, but stops when he reaches an opening.
This chain is attached directly to the ceiling with a bolt.
Also, using darkvision, Rend peers into the passageway, looking mainly for any signs of movement.
You see no movement down the passageway, to the extent of your darkvision.
The passageway is less than five feet from you, and having climbed the chain, it only requires the slightest bit of swinging to be able to reach the opening in the wall.
Nope. A simple cloak clasp, in the design of an eight-pointed star. The symbols seems vaguely familiar, though. Go ahead and make a Knowledge: Local roll, untrained is okay.
"Damn it!" I shout in surprise as the raven swoops by. I turn to Harlon in time to see him take the clasp from the raven. "What the hell was that for?!" I shout.
Rend gazes into the elevated passageway. He briefly considers waiting for the others, but then remembers the weaponless dwarf and figures they wouldn't be able to climb the chain anyway. Hearing Shamus shout at the raven convinces him that subtlety will have to be an individual effort. I'll just investigate and then return with more useful information, he thinks to himself as he gently causes the chain to swing back and forth. As quietly as possible, he leaps from the chain into the tunnel and then moves slowly forward to investigate.
Jump: 1d20+6 = 17
"Damn it!" I shout in surprise as the raven swoops by. I turn to Harlon in time to see him take the clasp from the raven. "What the hell was that for?!" I shout.
Harlon shrugs, but his facial expression remains unscrutable beneath his hood. "Sorry, Shamus, nothing personal... I didn't know if you noticed it... and I've never had a bird bring things at my command before! Finders keepers!"
Rend gazes into the elevated passageway. He briefly considers waiting for the others, but then remembers the weaponless dwarf and figures they wouldn't be able to climb the chain anyway. Hearing Shamus shout at the raven convinces him that subtlety will have to be an individual effort. I'll just investigate and then return with more useful information, he thinks to himself as he gently causes the chain to swing back and forth. As quietly as possible, he leaps from the chain into the tunnel and then moves slowly forward to investigate.
Jump rolls unnecessary.
You do slip stealthily into the passageway, however. It extends to the northeast in a straight line, beyond the range of your darkvision, and has no doors, alcoves or side passages you can see. It's also a little constricted -- just over five feet square, both side to side and top to bottom, so you can't quite stand up.
As you move down the tunnel, you can feel it getting taller and wider by degrees, and by the time you've moved maybe twenty feet down it, you can stand at full height, though the top of your head is still brushing the ceiling. It is at this point (twenty feet down the passage, or so) that you catch sight of the end -- what appears to be a large stone face, its mouth open in an angry scream.
You also happen to notice several long scratch marks gouged into the stone of the floor.
Nope. A simple cloak clasp, in the design of an eight-pointed star. The symbols seems vaguely familiar, though. Go ahead and make a Knowledge: Local roll, untrained is okay.
Hmmm, this looks ominous... Noticing the gouge marks on the floor, Rend looks around for any sign of footprints.
Not seeing any, he approaches the stone face cautiously, searching for traps along the walls as he goes.
Once he gets to end of the tunnel, he searches the stone visage.
You know nothing about them, but you know you've seen this exact symbol in association with a group known as the Seekers.
I glare at Harlon and his raven. "I had seen it. Thats why I was reaching for it. Since you seem so interested in getting it, maybe you can tell me what it is."
I glare at Harlon and his raven. "I had seen it. Thats why I was reaching for it. Since you seem so interested in getting it, maybe you can tell me what it is."
"It's nothing worth getting worked up about, Shamus," says Harlon nonchalantly. Hector caws aggressively at Shamus from his perch on the orange lantern.
"It's just a silver coat clasp in the shape of an eight-pointed star. Probably worthless," says the halfling as he promptly stuffs the item in his pocket. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he takes another look at the clasp: "Then again... its shape does look familiar... It looks alot like the symbol of this group called the Seekers... yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it... though, truth be told, I don't know much about the Seekers aside from their name... Kharid, do you know more about them?"
"Whatever." I continue to glare at the raven (I seem more irritated at the raven than at Harlon) and walk over to where Rend disappeared into the ceilng and shout "Do you need any help up there?" into the stone hole. I try to remember if I've heard anything about an orginization called the Seekers
It does look very much like the face on the sarcophagus.
Once he gets to end of the tunnel....
You get about twenty feet away from the face (the tunnel is about eighty feet long) when you feel the stone beneath your foot drop slightly when you put your weight on it.
As soon as that happens, the face animates, and terrible, battering wind erupts from its mouth and its eyes begin to swirl with a hypnotic red light.
I try to remember if I've heard anything about an orginization called the Seekers
You too have heard of them, but know nothing about them.
I walk over to where Rend disappeared into the ceilng and shout "Do you need any help up there?" into the stone hole.
There seems to be some kind of wind blowing down on to your face, from above.
Mesmerised by the hypnotic red light, you find yourself paralyzed and unable to move. The wind is getting stronger.
I walk over to where Rend disappeared into the ceilng and shout "Do you need any help up there?" into the stone hole.
A few seconds later, Rend has still not answered you. The wind is getting stronger.
Rend, you snap out of your trance, after a moment. The wind is now severe enough that you can feel it pressing physically against you. It's getting stronger.
Those down in the main chamber:
You can all feel the wind now, though it does not blow with enough force to affect you. It sounds like a scream.
"Hey Rend! What's going on up there?" I shout again, readying my rapier nervously.
Dalzig glances about the chamber, searching for the source of the screams. "It's the dead man! He's coming to kill us all!" Dalzig quickly pulls out his dagger and waves it about, using the skull symbol to fruitlessly wave off dead spirits.
"Wait, where's Rend?" he asks to no one in particular.
Coming out of his trance, Rend quickly takes stock of the situation and responds. Not wanting to find out what made those claw marks, he moves back up the passageway towards the hanging chain.
"I'm up here, Shamus! The wind's coming from the walls. There's something weird going on. I'm coming down."
As he gets to the opening, Rend pauses to judge the distance to the chain. He grabs it if he can. Otherwise, he steadies himself for a jump.
As he's about to go, his curiousity gets the better of him and he turns back to take one last look at the stone face, .
Those down in the main chamber:You can all feel the wind now, though it does not blow with enough force to affect you. It sounds like a scream.
Hector flies up into the passage where Rend presently stands. The bird struggles against the howling wind, cawing frantically. Down below, Harlon seems paralyzed. He begins to speak to himself in a hollow voice. "Oh no... the dream is reality... Rend has found the demon in the dark... screaming doom... silently..."
Yes, the wind is blowing out from the stone carving.
As he gets to the opening, Rend pauses to judge the distance to the chain. He grabs it if he can. Otherwise, he steadies himself for a jump.
The chain is effectively less than one square away. You can easily reach out and grab it.
As he's about to go, his curiousity gets the better of him and he turns back to take one last look at the stone face, .
As you look back, you can't quite make out the stone face itself, but the swirling red light is still easily visible, and you immediately fall again under its paralyzing sway. Fortunately, you are bracing yourself, holding the chain, in such away that you have avoided being knocked down from the ledge by the windstorm force winds.
When you next post, please make another Will save and another Fortitude save.
The Jump and Strength checks were unnecessary, but I'll allow you to keep this Climb check result, as you'll probably need it as soon as you can move again.
Hector flies up into the passage where Rend presently stands. The bird struggles against the howling wind, cawing frantically.
The wind in the main chamber is enough to make it difficult for Hector to fly properly just in this room. He is unable to enter the tunnel leading to the blue lantern, let alone progress further than that.
Dalzig glances about the chamber, searching for the source of the screams. "It's the dead man! He's coming to kill us all!" Dalzig quickly pulls out his dagger and waves it about, using the skull symbol to fruitlessly wave off dead spirits.
"Wait, where's Rend?" he asks to no one in particular.
"He seems to have found a hidden passageway, and triggered some kind of trap, lad," Kharid shouts above the screaming wind.
"Whatever's up there, we'll need to find a way to disarm or bypass that, before we can progress any further. Right now, I'm a little more interested in trying to figure out why this sarcophagus moves. It may even be something to help us deactive the thing. If Rend ever gets back down here, I want him to help us try to move it."
If he can move, Rend grabs the chain and lowers himself quickly to the floor where Shamus is standing and reports on what he's seen. He doesn't really have any ideas on how to deactivate the stone face, so he goes over to help Kharid with the sarcophagus.
Fort save: 1d20+3 = 11
If he can move, Rend grabs the chain and lowers himself quickly to the floor where Shamus is standing and reports on what he's seen. He doesn't really have any ideas on how to deactivate the stone face, so he goes over to help Kharid with the sarcophagus.
Still transfixed by the swirling lights, you fail to break the hypnotic hold they have on you, and remain paralyzed. You also find that your awkwardly braced position, halfway out of the opening with your hand around the chain, is no longer sufficient to resist the force of the hurricane gale no blasting at you. Your legs are blown free of the ledge, and you find yourself fluttering madly in the wind, fifty feet off the ground, with your grip on the chain the only thing preventing you from plummeting to the stone floor of the chamber below.
With the wind spinning you around like a top, you start to slide down the chain anyway. Take a point of damage from the friction burn to your hand. In your next post, you will have automatically broken the hold effect, as your line of sight on the swirling red light will be broken, however you will need to make a reflex save to grip the chain properly, or lose your grip and fall to the floor.
As your hand is already wrapped around the chain, the DC is lower than it would normally be, and any result that is not a 1 will be successful.
Don't roll a 1.
"This things moves?" Dalzig asks, pointing at the sarcophagus. Dalzig , already forgetting about Rend, scratches his head and leans against it with all his might.
Yes, you are right below him. So if he blows it, you may be able to help break his fall, though at what cost to you?
"This things moves?" Dalzig asks, pointing at the sarcophagus. Dalzig , already forgetting about Rend, scratches his head and leans against it with all his might.
You can feel it give a little, but you cannot quite muster the strength to push it past whatever "click point" is resisting you.
I look up and see Rend's precarious position "Oh shit!" I say and scramble out of the way.
With evident concern and surprise, Harlon sucks in his breath loudly as he sees, through Hector's eyes, the half-orc hanging on for dear life. "Rend! No!", he calls out in a trembling voice against the whistling of the wind. Abandoning Dalzig and Kharid by the sarcophagus, he races as fast as his little legs will allow him towards the spot where Shamus is standing.
"You don't wanna be standing there, trust me!" I say looking up from a safe distance, trying to judge how secure Rend is.
Rend grimaces as he slides down the chain, the flesh tearing away from his hands. Once he falls below the lip of the tunnel, he regains his composure and steadies himself before slowly climbing down the rest of the way. As he finally jumps to the ground, he turns to face Harlon and Shamus, who are looking at him with concern and indifference respectively.
"There's a stone face up there with red swirly eyes. I was paralyzed for what seemed like forever as the wind blew harder and harder. We need to find a way to shut it off...maybe Kharid has an idea."
His ordeal forgotten, Rend lopes to the center of the chamber where Dalzig is attempting to rotate the sarcophagus. Following his lead, Rend moves next to the gnome and pushes .
Rend grimaces as he slides down the chain, the flesh tearing away from his hands. Once he falls below the lip of the tunnel, he regains his composure and steadies himself before slowly climbing down the rest of the way. As he finally jumps to the ground, he turns to face Harlon and Shamus, who are looking at him with concern and indifference respectively."There's a stone face up there with red swirly eyes. I was paralyzed for what seemed like forever as the wind blew harder and harder. We need to find a way to shut it off...maybe Kharid has an idea."
His ordeal forgotten, Rend lopes to the center of the chamber where Dalzig is attempting to rotate the sarcophagus. Following his lead, Rend moves next to the gnome and pushes .
Harlon looks at the half-orc in wonder, as the latter walks nonchalantly to the sarcophagus. "You saw the face screaming silent doom... and lived... and your hands, Rend, someone should take a look at your hands," the halfling says in a quavering voice.
His ordeal forgotten, Rend lopes to the center of the chamber where Dalzig is attempting to rotate the sarcophagus. Following his lead, Rend moves next to the gnome and pushes .
The sarcophagus is heavy, and whatever mechanisms it uses to operate are old, so even with Rend pushing, it seems as if it will still not move past its "click point." However, as unlikely as it seems, with Dalzig's help, Rend pushes the sarcophagus beyond its unseen resistance, and rotates so that the tip of the arrowhead points at the yellow lantern.
When it does, you all hear a great rumbling from below the chamber, like stone sliding along stone. Moments later, the circular stone below the yellow lantern rises into the air, pushed up by a 5-foot-diameter cylinder of silvery metal that rises from the ground itself. Above the cylinder, the yellow lantern rises toward the ceiling as its chain is drawn up by more unseen mechanics.
The cylinder stops after it rises to a height of about eight feet or so, looking like an oversized child's toy peg sticking out of the floor. A few seconds after it comes to rest, two thin doors slide into the sides of the cylinder, revealing a small, empty chamber, just large enough for one humanoid (though Harlon and Dalzig could likely both enter the chamber comfortably).
The rumbling sound from somewhere beneath you stops.
I carefully approach the cylinder and say "Wait, let me look for traps." as I begin to examine the stone cylinder.
"There's a stone face up there with red swirly eyes. ..."
Harlon looks at the half-orc in wonder, as the latter walks nonchalantly to the sarcophagus. "You saw the face screaming silent doom... and lived... and your hands, Rend, someone should take a look at your hands," the halfling says in a quavering voice.
Harlon, when Rend mentions the red swirly lights, that seems to jog something loose in your memeory. You also remember the face having swirling lights for eyes, but you remember more colors than red.