"Aye, thanks, brother! Let's get another!" Kiira will take a five foot step towards the lead wolf and have at him!
Kiira's hit: 1d20+5=8, 1d10+3=8
"For the battle! For the blood!! For the clan!!!" Kirra will shout as she swings her axe the wolf in hopes of killing it as well.
Gant puts away his crossbow and pulls out his hammer. He looks around for enemies, readying an action if one comes within range.
Initiative Order: Khedron, Moverock, wolves/Gant, Thorghrim, Kirra.
Khedron’s hammer breaks some ribs in the wolf, causing a yelp of pain to burst forth. Moverock swings at the lead wolf as well but he misses, possibly due to Khedron’s hit causing the beast to move to the side and throwing his aim off.
The lead wolf flees, having had enough of these odorous ale reeking invaders!
Wolf #2 turns its attention onto Thorghrim, and stumbles bringing about an attack of opportunity from Thorghrim and Khedron! Khedron’s wiry speed stands him in good stead!
That one hurt for sure! One good hit might kill the foul beastie..
Khedron swings his hammer in a high overhand arc, aiming at the hindquarters of the fleeing lead wolf: AoO on lead wolf (1d20+8=23, 1d8+3=5)
Hey, that one is off balance!
The eldest swiftly recovers his swing, pivots, and brings his hammer down on the mangy head of the second wolf: AoO on wolf #2 (1d20+4=21, 1d8+3=6)
If wolf #2 is still there, Khedron will take another swing: swing on wolf #2 (1d20+4=20, 1d8+3=11)
If wolf #2 is dead but the lead wolf survived to run away, Khedron will pursue, howling in joy and blood lust.
If all enemies are KIA, he will look around for a moment while he gets his bearings, and will then inspect the bite on his leg.
His frustration growing by leaps and bounds every second, Thorghrim will wildly swing at the wolf missing so badly that his sword ploughs into the floor with a terribly loud, “Clang!!!”
An AoO on Wolf #2: (1d20+3=5, 2d6+3=10)
Hearing Kiira’s loud snicker and Khedron’s louder silence, Thorghrim will grit his teeth behind his beard… His anger at his lack of fighting prowess finally bursts to the surface and his vision seems to go white for a moment….
“Yaaaargh!!!”
Thorghrim will shout as he flies into an uncontrolled rage!
Gant will shoot at wolf #1, the one that is behind him somehow. Note to DM: If that wolf was headed that direction, I should have gotten my readying action to shoot at that one.
Readied shot at wolf #1:
Readied action crossbow shot at wolf #1 (1d20+3=13, 1d8=3)
Regular shot at #1 when it's my turn again:
Khedron’s swift strike kills the Lead wolf, dropping is lice ridden carcass at his booted feet. He then has to duck to avoid the wild swing from Thorghrim, but is able to bring his hammer onto wolf 2 crunching some ribs. As Thorghrim goes into battle frenzy, Khedron is able to land his a final blow before wolf 2 can recover crushing its lupine head.
The battle is over. To your north is the web covered arch that has the flickering green glow. To you right (east) is the rubble fill hallway that the wolves came from, and to your left (west) is the wide marble dais shrouded in darkness.
150XP ea.
"Might be more wolves down the hallway. Don't want them behind us. I'll go check."
Khedron will go down the east rubble hallway, on the lookout for more wolves. If he sees more, he will shout a warning to the others while falling back to the room of the original battle, trying to lure any surviving wolves into the kill zone.
Gant follows Khedron, crossbow ready, taking occasional peeks over his shoulder.
With no more foes to swing at, Thorghrim look about feverishly uncertain as to what to do as he clutches his sword with such force that the blade visibly shakes in his hand uncontrollably...
Watching Khedron and Gant move off, he will look back and forth between Kiira and Moverock and begin to slow his breathing, his shaking hands, and release the clench of his teeth finally calming down...
To his siblings, it looks as if his eyes are about to pop out of his head for a moment as he gets control of himself ending in an exaggerated swallow.
The wolf carcases leak their blood out as you move into the east wing. The entrance is so filled that you have to crawl into the tunnel, which opens out into a rank smelling den filled with bones. This is apparently where the wolves would bring their kills back for leisurely dining.
A search of the room results in finding an old leather backpack, a torn an bloodied green jacket, and yellow shirt, a ring on the finger of a half eaten arm. The backpack holds an elaborate lantern of indigo glass panes, you think you might get 50 dragons for it. You also find an arm band, that is intricately carved with unmistakable elven craftsmanship. The repeating leaf motif could be from no other race. You think you might get 75 to 100 dragons for it.
Kirra also finds a what looks like a marble index finger.
You all exit the den and do you check out the west wing? Or go straight to the webbed entrance?
Gant
You move to the west wing as you pass the web encased north exit, the flickering green light has not changed.
At the west wing you find a wide dais spanning the back half of it. Your attention is drawn to a faded fresco upon the south, west, and north walls. From a vantage point at the center of the dais, the wall painting makes it look like you stand within a massive room with seven short hallways radiating outward from a central point. A chain dangles from the ceiling at the end of each hallway, and each chain bears a gleaming colored lantern. Clockwise, the colors are red, orange, yello, green, blue, indigo and violet.
You immediately recognize that the painted lanterns match the one you found in the wolf den. After a few moments of pondering you retrace your steps to the web. You can seen faintly through the webs and see a short flight of stairs descend immediately from the webbed arch. You also note that the webs have hundreds of small spiders skittering over them.
DO YOU SLASH THE WEBS?
DO YOU CRASH THROUGH THE WEBS?
You all enter the large room.
A wide stairway descends into an immense domed chamber. Seven short tunnels branch from the room in all directions, extending some thirty feet before ending in rounded walls. At the terminus of each passage, a thick chain dangles from an unseen high ceiling. Five of the chains bear colorful lanterns, but two hold nothing at all.
Opposite entry stairs, a bright green lantern containing what looks like a torch casts a weird, murky light about the room. Countless chips of glass and shiny metal inset into the chamber’s domed ceiling reflect this light, giving the impression of starlight and falling snow. The dome starts about ten feet of the ground and reaches an apex about thirty feet over the center of the room.
Below the dome’s peak, a long dais holds what appears to be a marble sarcophagus. A milky white bas-relief figure, perhaps of a human, rests passively upon the sarcophagus lid. Unlike the rest of the tomb, this room is completely silent.
Having regained his composure, with Kirra looking like she was barely holding back laughter… Thorghrim will offer her a grimace and a huff of air through his mustachios and will turn with the others to the western wing.
Fascinated with the frescoes, he will study them for the short moment it takes to see what is portrayed… “Hmmm! It’s a painting of a tomb. A painting of a tomb inside a tomb… Human or elf, no doubt now…”
As the group moves to the webbed archway, Thorghrim will take note of the hundreds of little spiders and will think them cute and harmless. As the others begin the debate as to how to enter, Thorghrim will quickly get fed up with the chatter and will slice through the webs with his sword and begin tromping down the steps without pause for his arguing siblings…
Upon finding a tomb identical to the painting, Thorghrim will huff once more and say to himself, “Aye… Human or Elvish work this…” Making a note to collect one of the magical lanterns for himself later, Thorghrim will walk up to the sarcophagus and peer at the visage carved into the stone.
As he moves into the room and looks upon the sarcophagus, he will note the layout of the room and keep a sharp eye for anything that might be an enemy:
A Spot Roll in the Sarcophagus Room: (1d20+10=27)
Gant stays at M-39, looking around for enemies in all directions, his crossbow ready.
After looking about... Thorghrim will cast a look over his shoulder at his siblings and will say, "A Human is buried here!".
With disinterest in the corpse within the coffin, Thorghrim will walk up to the green lantern containing the green glowing torch...
"Hmmm... Skillful magic indeed... How does it glow? Is this a spell or some arcane thing of old? Could it be of human make? I've not seen the like before!" He will think to himself as he begins a short term obsession with the lanterns...
Decent stone work for manlings. A rich man must be buried here. Those lanterns are interesting. I wonder why the one from the wolf den doesn't work? Something for Gant and Thorghrim to ponder.
Khedron fixes his attention on the two tunnels without lanterns. Reasoning that whatever traps that lay down those tunnels might have been sprung by previous adventurers, he will probe carefully down one of them, going slowly and carefully, hammer and shield at the ready.
Thorghrim your inspection of the sarcophagus is that it is sealed. It is on a raised platform. The platform is in the shape of an arrow The tip is aligned with the head of the relief figure on the lid and a short “shaft” extending from the foot of the sarcophagus. At this moment the arrow is pointed down the tunnel with the Orange Lantern.
The lid bears a white stone relief of a tall figure cloaked in a simple garment of flowing cloth. It is difficult for you to say why, but it conjures thoughts of ancient times. What you at first took to be a human, changes as you notice that it is 7 feet tall, hairless and of indeterminate sex. Its arms and hands rest at its sides. The left hand curls upon itself in a fist. The right though is palm up, with the thumb folded into the palm. The index finger is missing.
A scarab-like amulet is around the figure’s neck
Khedron notes his brother's interest in the sarcophagus and looks on in silence. His mind wandering, he will get the marble finger that we took from the wolves, as well as the ring. He will put the ring on the marble finger and hold it up to the right hand where the finger is missing.
If that has no effect, he will get the indigo lantern from the wolf lair and hang it in the appropriate tunnel.
And if that has no effect, having reached the limits of his creativity, Khedron will use his warhammer to smash open the sarcophagus.
Thorghrim will reach out and touch the scarab around the figure's neck. As he is reaching for it, he will as Khedron, "This is no human! What manner of beast is it... Some kind of giant?"
If there is no effect of touching the scarab, then Thorghrim will stand by the sarcophagus whilst Khedron fetches the lamp and such.
If in the end, there is no effect from any of this, the he will aid Khedron in smashing open the stone coffin...
As Khedron begins grasping at Kiira for something, she'll ask, "What is it you're groping about for, brother?" When he answers that he'd like to try fitting the finger to the relief on the sarcophagus, she'll fish it out of her pouch and hand it over. She'll walk around the sarcophagus alternately looking at it and looking down each hallway as she walks around. She mutters to herself while she's doing this, "Tall for a human.....maybe some kind of holy man......why are there two lanterns missing?.....the hands....some sort of holy gesture?....maybe a magical pose or something......" Then she asks aloud, "I wonder if this thing spins about to point it's arrow down the hallways?"
Kirra's search on the sarcophagus at plus two for stonecunning: (1d20+2=9)
Not really seeing much up top that grabs her attention, she'll focus her search at the base of the sarcophagus, trying to determine whether or not it spins.
Search of the base of the sarcophagus: (1d20+2=16)
She obviously has her weapon out and is not as into the coffin as Thorghrim is into the lanterns so she's on the alert for any attacks. If her searches reveal nothing important, she'll take a five-foot step back and let her brothers try to smash the sarcphagus. If they ask for her help, she'll give it. Otherwise, she's keeping an eye out down the hallways and towards the bright green lantern.
Gant as you stand guard you neither hear or see any form of danger. Moverock moves to the foot of the sarcophagus and keeps a wary eye out.
Kiira you move the left of the sarcophagus keeping additional security. At your elder brother’s indication you place the stone finger in its place, and it is a perfect fit! Nothing happens.
Your initial scrutiny of the top of the sarcophagus reveals nothing to you, but when you inspect the base you do notice grove marks indicating that it can be moved.
Khedron, when you go to the hallway that you remembered as the indigo one in the mural you notice nothing out of the ordinary, and you hang the latern on its hook at the bottom of its chain. Nothing happens, so leaving the lantern you go back to the sarcophagus.
Nodding to your siblings you raise your warhammer high and bring it down hard! You hit and causing your hammer to bounce back vibrating slightly!
Thorghrim you notice at the last moment as to what Khedron is about to attempt, you hastily lift your greatsword and bring the pommel down upon the lid hiting it squarely causing a small divot.
The wavering green light continues to shed its weird murky light.
Seeing his limited success at damaging the sarcophagus lid, Thorghrim will once again bring his pommel to bear:
Another pommel smash on the sarcophagus lid: (1d20+3=11, 2d6+3=11)
As the sword “Pings” on the stone work, Thorghrim will set his jaw and brace himself for his next strike…
Gant AC16 Touch 12 Hp16/16
"Banging on the sarcophagus like brain addled elves?"
Gant sighs and nervously looks around. Again, if any enemy presents itself, he will pop it with his crossbow.
"...this would be so much easier if I had a destructive spell on my lips....what would my brothers and sister think, though?...maybe I'll learn from brain addled elves. No."
Hmm. This must not be an ordinary sarcophagus. Two good strikes should have at least cracked it. It may be magicked.
Khedron will look around the sarcophagus while Thorgrhim pounds on the lid: stonecunning (1d20+2=11)
"Kiira! Let's go down the orange tunnel. Maybe there is something there."
He will head down the orange tunnel, hammer and shield at the ready.
Gant follows Khedron and Kiira down the orange tunnel.
He puts his crossbow away and draws his warhammer.
"Not likely to be shooting into melee"
Gant falls in about 10' behind the others, watching behind and above often.
Kiira will relay her findings about the base of the sarcophagus to her brothers and watch with a grin as she sees the fascination with hitting the sarcophagus take hold of Thorghrim. "Can't imagine what he'd do with one of those gnomish puzzles I've heard about," she thinks to herself, "we might not ever see him again!!"
Upon hearing Khedron's statement, she'll turn away and follow...always keeping an eye out for a fight.
Gant you watch with vigilant nervousness as Thorghrim’s gleeful smashing brings to your mind the image of dwarf Guidwives ringing the dinner bell! The tantalizing images of you unleashing destructive energies from your fingertips brings a very pleasurable sensation as you follow Khedron and Kirra.
Khedron you do notice that the stone is well made and thick.
You move to the end of the passage with the orange lantern. The lantern is not lit, and there is dust on the floor, but you notice that there is a 5-foot diameter circle carved into the floor directly beneath the lantern. Your knowledge of stonework tells you that this is original workmanship that matches the stonework around you. You feel that the circle might be a lid.
Kirra you move with Khedron by your side and Gant following. No danger is seen. Your inspection of the carved circle reveals nothing of note.
Thorghrim you smash the sarcophagus lid causing the divot to enlarge. From your blows you can tell that this lid is thick stone.
Oblivious to what his siblings are doing, Thorghrim will continue to smash away at the coffin lid.
He will straighten to his full height and bring his pommel down perfectly on the divot he has been making…
Yet another strike on the sarcophagus: (1d20+3=22, 2d6+3=14)
Confirming the critical hit (with damage rolled in case it does confirm): (1d20+3=17, 2d6+3=12)
Thorghrim’s massive strike causes the divot in the lid to become a massive spiderweb of cracks! The lid starts to sag at your point of impact. It sets. No movement.
Moverock steps forward and states “Slam it again!”
Distracted by Moverock’s exclamation, Thorghrim will impatiently say, “I am! I am! Just give me room!”
Yet another slam on the stone coffin lid!: (1d20+3=8, 2d6+3=10)
Turning his head a bit to spit that statement out at his brother, Thorghrim’s hit is rather off and he fumbles about just a bit as he nearly loses grip of his blade increasing his inner frustration…
“Why don’t you quit yer yappin and slam a bit yourself you git!”
“Ach, look at yerself all hot n bother aboot a coffin!” Moverock reverses his waraxe and with a windmill swing slams the blunt end on the lid
The lid crashes inward and everyone who is standing around the sarcophagus is awash in flame!
After the fire dies, and Thorghrim pats his beard out you see that the sarcophagus is completely empty.
Huffing a bit of frustrated air toward Moverock and ignoring the others, Thorghrim will get on his tip toes and look hard into the empty coffin.
[i]"Humph! Softened it all up for him, I did..." Thorghrim will think to himself.
After his look, Thorghrim will lose all interest in the coffin, abruptly turn away, and walk over to where Khedron is grumbling under his breath about 'show off siblings' and 'stupid empty boxes'...
His interest in obtaining a magic lantern will cook up again as he nears the eldest...
Khedron will go check another tunnel to see if it has a circular piece in the floor, and suggest to Gant and Kirra that they do the same. "A lid...or a trap?", he muses to no one in particular.
He will look for a means of opening the lid/trapdoor - handles in the wall or a pry point where he might get a crowbar under. If none of that works, he will get on Moverock's shoulders and try to manipulate the lantern by twisting it or moving it back and forth.
Oh well...
I was hoping that the other players would eventually get more into this particular campaign. As it is, everyone has given up on it. What a shame.
I thought that the concept of playing a family of Dwarves that all start out as Barbarians from a tribe that eventually branch out into the party "specialties" (Khedron turning into a wizard at 2nd level and Thorghrim becoming a cleric then, for instance) was a brilliant idea that could have ended up being incredible fun.
But, alas it is not to be.