"Not without some hefty magic, I'm afraid.
"Shortly after I began my Duskblade studies, the school had some guest instructors come a'visiting from the great city of Tula, and one of them wore the armor of the Coleop Corps, made from the armor of giant insects such as this. She explained that this..." Gashelle says, rapping the beetle's shell with her knuckles, " ... is exoskeleton, more like bone than hide. Armorers need magic to soften it enough to be molded, and magic to keep it pliable through the process.
"But it is worth it. Colep Corps armor is as tough as plate, isn't subject to spells like chill metal or rust monsters, and weighs a lot less than steel."
Eltariel returns to the others to catch the end of the conversation.
"Hmm. I think I read a treatise once on that kind of armour and how it is made ... my dear, I think you may have hit on an interesting plan. I think I can make something of this ... perhaps," Eltariel grimaces slightly, "I'd certainly like to try. Would a suit of it suit you, Gashelle, Holgur? There should be sufficient here for at least one."
"I'd certainly like to try. Would a suit of it suit you, Gashelle, Holgur? There should be sufficient here for at least one."
Gashelle looks at the beetle's corpse, a little dubious, and shakes her head slightly, as if arguing with herself. "We'd have to figure out some way to provide enough artidulation and flexibility, and that might destroy ...
"Etariel, the example I saw functioned as if it were full plate armor, although it was much lighter. The Coleop Corps consists of men and women with no feel for magic, because those suits inhibit any casting they'd tried. I suspect I'm going to need to stay with mail."
The she smiles. "But I think Holgur would look great in a gleaming black suit that smelled vaguely of beetles and had a big horn on the helm's crest."
"Did you find anything in its nest?"
"Nothing recognisable," Eltariel shakes her head. "Poor creature, it seems to have been a scavenger, not a predator - or not so much of an active threat as we presumed."
She kneels next to the fallen beetle.
"Be not aggrieved, as you rejoin the great cycle. Know that your falling will go to make life flourish elsewhere, life that you will rejoin in the fullness of time," she murmurs.
you make your way back to the tower..some magical healing and a nights rest restores you all to full strength for the next day.Rasheem creates food and drink to sustain you...which explains why the tower has no facilities for cooking.
Eltariel will spend several hours at the desk (adding Scorching Ray and Shatter), studying the spell-book and writing in her own. She'll then take time to study the magic items we found.
The items are
A ring of protection +1
chain shirt+1
and a heavy mace+1
"Friends, we have a mildly enchanted chain shirt, heavy mace and a protective ring. I wouldn't mind the ring, I'm starting to feel vulnerable in just my leathers, but if anyone has any more pressing need I'll yield to them. Once we've rested I'd like to try those extra doors upstairs."
"If nobody minds, I'd be glad for the dwoemered chain".
Gashelle will ask Aude to borrow her copy of Pharasma's holy book ("The Bones Land in a Spiral"), which Gashelle will read through, looking for a good motto to inscribe along the edge of the black shield Aude is carrying around. She'll decide on "WHEN THE SOUL TRAVELS WITH A GUIDE, IT FALTERS NOT."
For Wellard:
I intend for Gashelle to add the ghost touch property to the shield as well as decorating it.
Rested and healed, Layjiani stands ready to explore the magical portals whenever the rest of her comrades are.
You awaken to find Farrah has returned to the tower..she carries in her arms a pile of furs and cloth which turn out to be cloaks of fine workmanship
"These are a gift a reward for my rescue ..you have no idea what it was like stuck for centuries with only that foul quasit for company.." she colours..you didnt realise nymphs could blush..."Some of the things it suggested were...vile"
"These cloaks will help you withstand fell magics cast against you..I beg you please accept them with my eternal gratitude" she smiles and Avinar and Holgur find parts of their attire overly tight.
A cloak of resistance +1 for each of you
"Farrah, speaking only for myself, I offer you my deepest thanks. This cloak's magic is the least of its virtues. It also serves as a memento of the fellowship we all share, and of our boon in meeting you.
"You offer us these treasures as thanks and reward, but know that I held you in no debt of ours. You may call for assistance at any time, and I will come, letting not distance, nor trial, nor the terror of death itself bar my way. This I swear in the presence of Lakshmi, who shows me the sacredness of beauty and grace, and Athena, who guides my arm."
"Thank you, Farah," Eltariel bows formally. "We required no reward to free you, but we are grateful for you gift. Gashelle speaks for all of us; if you ever have need, we will aid you as best we may."
Farrah beams a smile of devestating brightness upon you..even the ladies feel the sap stirring though she shows only a portion of her power
"Thank you all again so much..now I must return to my sisters..I have so much to catch up on..until we meet again"
She vanishes the air rushing in to fill the space she just vacated
After a moment of silence, Eltariel selects a cloak and slings it over her shoulders.
"Well, shall we see what lies beyond those doors above?"
Have we finished exploring the whole complex before heeding into the unknown ?
We also have to resolve the djinn problem ...
There was also mention of the fact that some of you want to take time for crafting. It might be a good time to do it
"Then, Etariel, we are in accord as to our itinerary: doors upstairs, doors outside, city. But I've been thinking about the magical portals. Of course, they are mysterious to us at this point, but I don't think they've ever been opened. Mortin Kirren made them in an attempt to escape the tower, but I don't think they led anywhere until yesterday, a little before noon.
"I don't believe he would have deliberately created a gate to somewhere inimicable to life, but ... his track record isn't unblemished. We'll be conducting test runs on these, and they may be the most dangerous part of this entire compound.
"Imagine opening a door that leads to the elemental plane of water. As an ocean fills the tower, we might try desperately to open doors, hoping another leads to the negative planes, to provide an appropriate sink."
After a moment's reflection, Gashelle turns to the magical bookshelf. "Do you think his research might give us some clues as to where those gates lead?
"O bookshelf, please show us all the tomes describing other planes of existence."
"I'm not sure the three doors in the outer wall of the tower are those he made after the field was established. It might well be they lead to the bathroom, for example," Eltariel points out, "or to other utility rooms. I agree about the portals he made for trying to escape. I had a brief look at his notes upstairs, but I'd need to study them for a few days to see where they truly were intended to lead, and I certainly don't propose opening them before I do."
She thinks a moment.
"You know, we still have one owlbear and it's cubs to deal with. Sooner or later it'll get hungry and start trying to hunt, and it's only way out is through the courtyard, and the only large prey left around here is us - or other people. I wish I'd thought to mention it to Farah, but I don't think she would have wanted it around her woods or anyone elses'."
The book shelf rearranges itself to show a number of books on the other planes...quite a few books to be honest, abouit 100 of them.
the titles range from... 'Abjurations against the Fiends of the Outer Darkness' to 'Zagyg's Realm..a study in applied insanity'
"Plenty of material for researching spells anyway," Eltariel remarks.
"But I think Holgur would look great in a gleaming black suit that smelled vaguely of beetles and had a big horn on the helm's crest."
Holgur lets out a booming laugh at the suggestion. "Aye, I think you have a fine mine for artistry as well as for warfare, Gashelle. Such a suit would be most impressive."
Holgur lets out a booming laugh at the suggestion. "Aye, I think you have a fine mine for artistry as well as for warfare, Gashelle. Such a suit would be most impressive."
"Then I'll have to forge you a suit, friend Holgur - we'll let that beetle get a little ripe before we can strip the chitin off it, and I'll make you a suit. Would you prefer a breastplate ensemble or complete plate armour?"
Holgur lets out a booming laugh at the suggestion. "Aye, I think you have a fine mine for artistry as well as for warfare, Gashelle. Such a suit would be most impressive."
"Then I'll have to forge you a suit, friend Holgur - we'll let that beetle get a little ripe before we can strip the chitin off it, and I'll make you a suit. Would you prefer a breastplate ensemble or complete plate armour?"
"You are too kind, Eltariel. Just the breastplate, please. It is very hard to swim in plate."
Oh, does Rasheem think we've stabilized the tower?
The book shelf rearranges itself to show a number of books on the other planes...quite a few books to be honest, abouit 100 of them.
the titles range from... 'Abjurations against the Fiends of the Outer Darkness' to 'Zagyg's Realm..a study in applied insanity'
Gashelle will look over the books for perhaps four or five hours, looking for a hint as to where the mage might have ben intending to travel. (She's assuming that at least one of the doors leads to someplace utterly mundane, like the center of the new city, or the courtyard right outside. But are there any hints among the books as to where others might open?
Decipher script (4 ranks +10),
Knowledge arcana (1 rank +7),
Knowledge dungeoneering (2 ranks +8),
Knowledge geography (1 rank +7),
Knowledge planes (1 rank +7)
Search (0 ranks +3).
After that, shall we be off to exploring the more standard doors?
"You are too kind, Eltariel. Just the breastplate, please. It is very hard to swim in plate."
"Not at all - you put yourself between me and foes that could cut me in half with one blow. The least I can do is ensure you are well protected."
Eltariel will return to review the notes upstairs, they may have more clues.
|
The books unfortunately offer no clue as to what the mage was trying to achieve..though they do make interesting reading.
The notes are full of cryptic scribblings and the ravings of a man who was you would guess descending into insanity even before his death..some pages are overwritten so much as to be unintelligible.. others bear but a single word..it would appear however that the wizard was trying to get outside the tower presumably to move the lever.
Oh, does Rasheem think we've stabilized the tower?
After that, shall we be off to exploring the more standard doors?
Layiani was thrilled to see Farrah again and accepted the cloak gratefully. While she could not speak (at least in common) with the grace and charm of the others, her face and demeanor exhibited her gratitude and joy most clearly. When the others pledged their aid whenever called upon, the ranger/rogue nodded her head once as she stared enraptured at the otherworldly beautiful Nymph. She takes the cloak she feels most suits her and slings it over her shoulders. She rolls up her old cloak of resistance and stores it in (or on) her backpack.
While the others are poring over the tomes, Layjiani spends her time carefully going over every inch of the tower, making sure they have left no traps, secret doors or other surprises or goodies unfound.
There are no more burrowers..there are no more traps or tricks...only the mysterious doors to examine
You’ve entered another level of this round tower. This time, however, there are no other stairs in sight. Instead, you see seven doors. Three are spaced evenly along the eastern edge of the tower wall. Two more are in standalone door frames in the middle of the room. Each of these doors is in front of a 10-by-10 force cage. In each of the force cages is another stand-alone doorframe with another door. All the doors are locked. The rest of the room is filled with magical apparatus of all kind, as well as several books opened to various pages.
Plus the secret door leading to Rasheem's room.
Have we found the actual keys to these doors?
So we have three doors on the east wall, which we'll call E1, E2, and E3; and two that are free-standing lock-and-dam set-ups like we encountered underground, which we can call F1 and F2.
Layjiani, shall we explore the eastern doors first?
"The doors in the wall are the ones I am interested in. The others I think are part of the attempt to get out, but these look more integral."
make your choice
You open the door..and find yourself looking into the lower room of the tower(the one with all the furniture).
"Obviously he got bored with using the stairs," Eltariel remarks.
"Stay here", Gashelle recommends. She runs down the two flights of stairs to the living quarters and looks around from there.
Gashelle sees nothing on the other side of the lower door except the entry way to the tower.
The door upstairs seems to lead into the same spot as the way in from outside
"Different. A one-way door." Eltariel closes the door. "Let's see where the next leads ..."
While the Elf and Half-Elf are investigating the intracasies of the first dimensional door, Layjiani checks for traps on the next two and, when all are ready, opens the second door.
Once Gashelle returns to the upper floor Layjiani opens the door..into a white space..it's impossible to tell how big it is..but the most important thing is the chain covered figure that stands about 20 feet away.
No Surprise round as both sides are surprised
Round 1(ACP applied to initiative rolls from now onwards)
Chain covered figure 26
Eltariel 23
Avinar 12
Gashelle 14
Layjiani 13
Holgur 1
Aude -1
The figure charges Layjiani trying to knock her aside.Layjiani is pushed back five feet from the door.She gets an AoO on her attacker
Holgur moves to interpose himself between the assailant and Aude, trusting that Avinar will do the same for Elariel. He waits for the thing to come close before swinging his axe cleanly.
Following Holgar's lead Avinar protects Eltariel and flashes steel at the chain wielding manic,
To hit 26, 23, to damage 13, 10.
Critical confromation 27, extra 13 points damage if crit confrmed.
Eltariel takes a five-foot step away from the figure and lets loose a Magic Missile as it is already in melee.
Eltariels Magic Missiles impact harmlessly on the chains..
and isnt it 3d4+3 for the MM?