Lua will look around checking for danger, bow knocked but not drawn.
Ebonfeather flies down into the room circling. He doesn't see anything very interesting at first but then he reacts to something near the bottom right. He swings his head towards something for a moment and then flies back up. "Big rat nest. In hole at bottom. Big rat hiding." The ground is too dim for Zareth to see where exactly Ebonfeather is indicating. Lua doesn't make it at first either. Most likely your position up here isn't giving you a very good angle.
"Big rat huh? Well we were talking about needing more blood, right? I say we go down and gut the little beasty and use it to help open those portals." Johnathan then secure's the end of the rope with the grapplying hook and drops the rest down into the chamber. "Whose first? Ladies maybe?"
"Wait, you still intend to open up the gates? Well, I might as well help you. Just don't blame me if Demogorgon comes out and rips your face off, shall we?", states Zareth as he takes out a misshapen bag.
"I'm not really keen on this whole portal thing at all." Bel will say with worry. "I mean, we have no real clue what it will do, do we..."
Johnathan shrugs again. "Well, I don't see the statue we are looking for here, but it might be hidden. Let's go and investigate shall we." He then starts climbing down the rope.
Bart will take 10 climbing down the rope and, assuming he's given time, will draw his greatsword and hold it before him.
"It will be good to have a reason to keep this blade sharp. I don't know if some rat blood would be sufficient to open such a portal as those we saw below."
Bart looks back up to the top.
"I will cover you from down here as you descend."
Johnathan takes out a torch and quickly lights it. From the side a hiss can be heard and then from the torch's light Bart and Johnathan can see two glowing red eyes in one of the alcoves near the ground level.
You also can see that the pedestal more clearly. It seems to have some kind of empty holder in the center of it. By the size and shape of the holder it seems as if one of the crystal disks could fit into it.
Zareth climbs down to the others and looks at the pedestal. "Now, what could this be?"
1d20+11=30
Zareth climbs down to the others and looks at the pedestal. "Now, what could this be?"
1d20+11=30
Your best guess is that it is some kind of divination item.
Lua will climb down, then reknock her bow,keeping an eye on the rat's nest.
"Maybe the alcoves have a clue, they have crystal disks in them. A library of sorts?"
13 or lower:
14 or higher (part 1, read ):
14 or higher (part 2):
You hear something happening up on the balcony with Bel. But as you get distracted for a moment, the giant rat takes this chance to launch out and rush towards Lua (ends the surprise round adjacent). Initiative rolls and first round of action.
Already watching the nest with a knocked arrow, Lua will draw and loose at the rat, then back across the room to try to maintain range.
init,attack with bow and if needed dmg (1d20+3=21, 1d20+4=23, 1d8=1)
"Get away from her vermin!" spits Bart as he charges his way into combat.
Move Action: Move up to engage the rat.
Standard Action: Power Attack the rat (-1 to hit, +1 damage) with my greatsword; Crital Fumble.
Zareth begins chanting arcane phrases, and a nimbus of force surrounds him.
Johnathan's Init: 1d20+7=25
Rat's Init:1d20+3=20
Init for Round:
25 Johnathan
21 Lua
21 Bart
20 Rat
12 Zareth
Surprise Round:
AS the rat rushes out of the hole, Lua let's go an arrow which slices down its side. The rat squeeks in pain and anger and moves in towards her.
Round 1:Johnathan draws his hand crossbow and loads it.
Lua moves way from the rat, trying to put some range between it and herself. Bart rushes forward to hit the beasty, but slips slightly on some slime the creature dragged along with it and misses it. The bat bites at Bart:
Attack: 1d20+4=16
Damage: 1d4=4
Zareth puts up a magic protection about himself.
Begin round 2. Current conditions are that Bart is in melee with the rat, the other three are within point-blank range (within 30 ft).
"Ha! You'll have to do better than that to get at my skin!"
Bart takes an wider stance to steady himself on the slick terrain and takes a more calculated slash at the rat.
1d20+6=25, 2d6+3=11 damage. Confirm possible crit; 1d20+6=14 for an additional 2d6=7 damage. Total damage on a crit would be 18.
While Johnathan and Lua try to look for an opening to fire at the little beasty, Bart brings his sword down on the creature. His swing this time is good and he chops off the front half of the giant rat's head. The creature drops to the ground and twitches for a moment.
The rat you notice has thick, oily, slick fur and webbed feet.
The room is silent except for the tense breaths from you and your companions. The hole that the rat came out of is too small for any of you to squeeze into (though a small sized humanoid might have been able to).
After a moment you realize that something is missing...
"Bel!"Lua will hook her bow over her shoulder and scramble up the rope."Are you okay?"
climb check (1d20=20)
Bart cleans off his blade with a rag and then kneels down to examine the rat.
"Very curious indeed. Has anyone else seen anything like it? I suppose, since this place is usually submerged, it is some kind of aquatic mammal?"
Glancing up from his position, "Is everyone alright? Fortunately this beast was not a very strong threat....at least not alone."
With that, Bart glances around suspiciously at the nest.
Lua climbs the rope and finds no sign of Bel.
Bart doesn't see any other movement from the hole the rat climbed out of.
"Companions! Bel is gone!" Lua will unhook her bow and knock an arrow, looking for signs of a struggle.
survival check. no track feat. (1d20+2=14)
What with all the rubble from the destroyed wall, it is hard to make out what happened to Bel, if anything. Just as Lua is about to give up finding any sign, she spots a single drop of blood on a stone near by. She also notices a few steps downward, a small puddle of water with a definite reddish tinge to it (as if a drop of blood was dulited in it). No other definitive signs are found.
Johnathan stares blankly up towards Lua to see if she has anymore information to provide.
"There are no signs of Bel, but there are a few drops of blood.Possibly leading down the stairs..."Lua will glance back and forth, not wanting to take any time before searching for Bel, but not wanting to leave her companions behind either.
Johnathan sighs loudly. "Alright, back up we go. Bart grab that dead rat, we might need it after all." Johnathan then will start climbing up the rope.
Johnathan gets up on the ledge and starts searching around the area. "Oh, I see, some blood." He rubs his head, "Doesn't look like a lot, it looks like someone just cut themselves. Well, I guess we should go look for her." Johnathan looks down into the room at the other two guys, "Hmm, they seem interested in studying this room some more, well it doesn't look like Bel is hurt too bad, she probably just chased another one of those rats." Johnathan cups his hands to his mouth, "Bart! Zareth! We are going to find Bel! We are heading down, catch up when you get done with whatever you are doing!"
He then gets back out his hand crossbow and turns to Lua, "Shall we?"
"Oh, I'm sure she's safe. Come get us if anything happens, though."
"Incessant usage of the phrase 'shall we' is my catchphrase/verbal tic. Can't he just find his own or something", Zareth grumbles to himself before he turns and begins to cast a spell.
"Yes Jonathan let's find Bel. I am worried." Lua will glance over the rail at the others..."Bart, Zareth hurry please." She will then nod at Jonathan and head carefully down the stairs.
Zareth
Lua
Zareth kneels before the pedestal.
"Hmm. Interesting. So very interesting. Now what do you mean?"
Zareth kneels before the pedestal.
"Hmm. Interesting. So very interesting. Now what do you mean?"
Most you can tell is that it is some kind of divine language.
Bart has a sour expression on his face as he drags the large rat behind him by the tale. When he catches up with the others he drops it and leans over to catch his breath for a second.
"Well...what....do you make of it?" he says between breaths.
Bart
"So, it is a divine script. Hey, Bart, you wouldn't happen to speak... Bart? I better go catch up with the rest of them."
Zareth then draws his crossbow and goes down to join the others.
Zareth
As you travel down the stairs you noticing a drop of blood here and there every once in a while. Lua, Johnathan, and Bart are standing at the gap in the stairs staring at the wall when you catch up with them. You notice bigger blotches of blood along one of the wall going down the gap, as if someone was climbing the wall with a bloody hand.
When Zareth arrives, Johnathan will head back and get the rope if Zareth did not bring it with him. Johnathan will then hook the rope up again, lowering it into the gap.
"Down we go again, I guess."
Lua will agian hook her bow over her shoulder with the arrow between her teeth. She will then climb down, once at the bottom she will unhook her bow and reknock it.then she will look around to see what she can.spot (1d20+5=12)
You see a few drops leading down to the room with the three arches. When you get down there, you notice a fresh drop of blood in front of the arch with the dragon with pearl eyes.
"Oh no. This is not good, this is not good. Something dragged Bel down here and opened the portal. John, go wave your hand over there in the gate. We need to make sure the gate's not still active."
"Oh, uh, Lua, there was some magic script on that pedestal that may of been Celestial. Mind reading it, if you have a chance?"
Johnathan raises an eyebrow at Zareth's suggestion, and then gingerly puts his hand in the portal. Nothing happens. A look of relief passes over his face. "Doesn't seem to be on."
"You mean now? Or after we save Bel?"
Lua will glance at Zareth
"Do you think it is needed to work the Portal?"
"Well, I don't know if the pedestal's important, but it probably is. Lua, how about you and me go run to the pedestal. Bart, John, you two stay here and be ready to open the portal when we get back."
"We ain't got time for all your mage research stuff. The lass could be getting gutted as we speak."
"On the other hand, that thing might give us an idea as to what is on the other side of this portal. I mean we don't want to walk into the mouth of a dragon after all."
"On the other hand, Bel could be seconds away from death and you'd have to take the rope with you and hook it up and that is all going to take time."
"On the other hand, we don't even know if Bel came this way or if that is her blood. Maybe she attacked something and chased it and is trapped on the other side. We don't want to get trapped either."
"On the other hand, how many hands is that now? Anyway, Bart. Bart! Put that dead rat down for a second. What do you think?"
"I'm willing to risk entrapment or even a dragon's den to save our fellow Warder. I fear for Bel's safety, we should press on."
Lua grips her bow tightly and grimaces at the blood on the floor.
" This portal here I think."She says indicating the portal with the dragon's and the pearls.
"Okay, I guess that decides it." Johnathan grabs the dead rat from Bart and slices into it. Blood spills all over the ground in front of the gate with pearls in it. A vague shimmering appears in the archway. "Who wants to live forever!", Johnathan shouts as he steps into the archway and disappears.
"Ehlonna Protect us." Lua will follow on Johnathan's heels, and enter the portal.
Zareth snaps out of his internal debate once Johnathan opens the portal. "Uh, I do." He hesitates slightly, then follows the rest of the party into the portal.
The regular, masonary walls of the tower give way to natural stone walls. In this roughly rectangular room, you face a series of natural stone stairs to the north (?), and a closed door to the right. The air is different here, fresh with the tang of salt. From somewhere in the distance comes the thrumming roar of the surf.
The walls are decorated with carvings depicting some sort of evolving dragon (appears as if a human is changing into a 3-headed dragon, which in the last carving seems to have white, black, and blue heads). On the floor, before the portal you entered, a sigil is carved into the stone (which appears to be identical to the one in the gateway room).
Oh yeah, and you also notice two pirates attacking Johnathan. ;)