World of Strange Magics IC1

[Lochar]

A quarter mile inland is the tower. It stands eight to ten stories high, made of some type of white stone. The stone actually seems to glisten in the morning sun, as the eastern rising epitome of Ahiryia begins it's trek across the sky.

Back on the shore, the ship that brought you here rests, with a small contingent of sailors that were hired to bring the group here. Granted, there were ten explorers to start with, and you five are the remnants. Not so much as because you were better than the other half of the group, but more lucky. You five were on the second shift for today, and so were waiting out the first group when you saw the huge cloud of sand that billowed out of the second floor windows, flinging one body out, naked and sand scoured. It was the monk, and too bad his safefall didn't kick in.

The other four? No sign of them.

What you do know is that the first floor of the temple has been partially mapped, but you hadn't made it to the staircase yet yourselves.

The temple entrance is before you. It stands ten feet high, and fifteen feet wide. The stone, which seems to resist all manner of wind and sand erosion, has intricately carved birds and other flying creatures on it, and carved above the doorway are runes in a language none of you know.

The wind occasionally picks up, and sand blows through the area. You all know that there are doors inside the temple, at least on the first floor, and if they're left open, sand will start piling up. In most places, there is at least an inch thick layer of sand already.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Standing towards the front of the pack, a dwarf with a rather large maul was looking at the large entrance to the tower. At least, one could assume that he was probably be a dwarf, for he was so thoroughly encased in metal armor that not a bit of him could be seen, save for his gray beard with black highlights. Around his neck hung a circular gray pendant made of solid granite with a single rune relief if the center. "It' looks like this's where people go in n' out."

Slate wasn't known for his good communication skills. In fact, he was more well known for his poor communication skills. "Slate Slabrock thinks that you an' Slate Slabrock oughta go inta the place b'fore the sandy storms back."

Knowledge (Religion) check to see if I can figure out any significance to the carvings on the buildings exterior (roll can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5611384#post5611384). Cast Read Magic and attempt to read what is written on the building.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

A young woman with many weapons stuck out from behind her was staring at the body on the ground. The young woman was pale as a ghost and kept nervously touching each of her many weapons, as if to make sure they were all there. Eventually the woman starting pulling out each of the weapons, which seemed to calm her down. Finally she decided on one and put the others away. "I think that we should have some kind of plan before we run in and get ourselves killed. If I am going to die, I would rather it not be because I was an idiot."

Oh please don't let this be the people after me. This was my last chance to get away.

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

Kiris Darkstar was garbed in a soldier's breastplate, bearing the crest of some unknown city or another. His halberd was firmly in both hands, with the lethal tip pointed upwards. His eyes scanned the area in quick, darting motions, then once more, more slowly and studiously.

He listened with one ear to the two of his party members, blubbering.

I should have seen if I couldn't get some honest-to-Gods soldiers on this expedition.

"I say that we go in and see what's in there. We can't make any sort of plan at all without actual intelligence. The boat isn't going anywhere, and this isn't a point of no return. We can go in, see what the conditions are, and then fall out if it blows up in our face."

He smiled thinly. This should be fun.

((OOC: I can't get the colors to work for me -.-))

[Lochar]

The runes don't read as magic, nor does Slate's religious training recall anything in particular that the carvings would have meaning towards.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir

A tall half-elf stalks in behind the others, his face shadowed and shoulders hunched. He looks like a man on the run, very wary, with blackened eyes and wild hair, a very disheveled look about him. Across his arms and face are tattoos, traceries, some in a dark, reddish ink, and some carved in. He tries to hide his wary look with a nervous smile, but it is totally transparent. He studies the temple, then casts a spell, with a purposeful look on his face. "We should go in. I want to see what's inside..."
Casting detect magic. I'll have it on as long as we're in the ruins, unless there is something to break my concentration.

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

Kiris nodded in agreement.

"It's not going to give us any profit if we stand out here any longer. Come on; let's get the party started."

Kiris stepped to the front of the party.

"I'll take point. Let's go."

He lowered his halberd and made his way forward.

I'm going to make spot, search, and listen checks, in that order, so first is spot, and so on. He has a +0 to the rolls, so...[roll0]
...[roll1]
...[roll2]

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate turned to the halberdier. If his face weren't completely hidden by his helmet, one would have been able to see a look of confusion. "Kiris, why ya' cryin'? Ya' got sand in th' eyes? An' ya' shouldn' go in yet. Wait'll Shimmer has some say. Then Stale Slabrock'll be O.K. with ya' goin' in."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody listened to the other fighter make some inane comments. What is the rush? There is no one here that matters to see how long we take.
"I'm with Slabrock on this one. Let's hear what Shimmer has to say."

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

Kiris looked back to the last party member; the only one who hadn't said anything yet. The dwarf was going to dig on his nerves if he kept up; regardless, Kiris nodded in consent.

He carefully guarded his tone so that his impatience and frustration would be concealed, just like he had in the army when working with sergeants who gave displeasing orders. "Fine. What say you, Shimmer?"

That was the best part of my military stint toward the end of my career. They recognized that I was one of the best, and my orders were usually just to kill everything in sight. I got to leave strategic elaborations for those who don't have that ability.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

The tan young woman has been standing with feet splayed, staring at the temple. She glances at the approaching storm, and pulls her cloak more tightly around her thin shoulders.

"I agree. We should go in. Kiris should take point. Perhaps the storm can be turned to our advantage - if the rooms fill with sand from the storm, that's a change to a stable condition, and may reveal things like sensitive pit traps.

Obviously, the temple has been left with guards and wards to prevent intrusion. For them to have lasted so long, there may still be a controlling intelligence of some kind. It would be useful to proceed as if something actively sought our deaths for entering the place.

She picks up her small pack and bow, and signals her readiness to re-enter.

[Lochar]

The five of you enter the temple, Kiris taking point ten feet ahead of the others. Entering the first room, the only thing of note here is the inch or so of sand on the floor, being blown about.

Kiris notes that there are paths in the sand at the closed west door, while there are not such at the north or east doors. Most likely from that door being opened and then shut again later on. Even as you watch, the slight wind from the temple entrance moves sand around. Given a few more hours, and the room would look untouched again.

Everything you've mapped currently can be considered free of traps/monsters/etc.

Since Kiris is on point, he can choose which room to go to, to start mapping out new sections and looking for the stairs, etc.

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

The intelligent tactical reasoning of the Elf, Shimmer, made Kiris stop and look over his shoulder in impressed amusement for a second to Shimmer.

"I didn't expect someone here to have tactical reasoning. Usually only fighter-types have that, and sometimes not even then. Feel free to shout orders to me in battle; I trust you."

It was as close as Kiris got to declaring vast amazement for someone's abilities and his faith in them.

He lead the way forth, and observed the sand and the wind.

"The door seems to have been closed" he mused aloud, "so, the question: Should we push forward through the west door, where someone has clearly gone, and perhaps perished, and investigate a prior scene, or go through the north or east doors, and investigate something new? Either way, I'm starting to get a sinking feeling that Shimmer's guess was dead kriffing on: something closed that door after it opened, so something is gonna be out for our heads at some point if we poke around."

He stepped forward and slightly away from the rest of them, and gave his halberd a lazy mock twirl and decapitated an imaginary foe in front of him to illustrate. "Off with the head."

He looked to Shimmer and the rest. "Course of action?"

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody stood in the back watching the rear. She had her great sword in her hands ready for battle.

"I would like to go the way that the others did not go as well. Perhaps something in those areas will give us an idea of what we are up against."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock thinks th' same as th' lass with th' sword." Slate drew his granite maul. "Slate Slabrock says Slate Slabrock an' you'd be best off if we've got weapons ready."

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir

"I would prefer to take the worn path... whatever might have gone there could be a threat. But either way suits me, in the end." He looks around warily, casting an extended mage armor and then reactivating detect magic, scanning the area for potential threats.

[Lochar]

The room in inert to magical sight.

Kasimir:I'll consider you holding onto the detect magic for a while, so you don't have to keep recasting. Unless you cast something else, I'll let you know when your time runs out.

[Gorgondantess]

The room in inert to magical sight.

Kasimir:I'll consider you holding onto the detect magic for a while, so you don't have to keep recasting. Unless you cast something else, I'll let you know when your time runs out.

If my time runs out, I'll cast it again. I have it as an unlimited SLA. The only reason I specified recasting it is that, well, I cast something else. BTW, does mage armor stack with my bracers of armor +1? Because if not, I want my money back.:smallannoyed:

[Lochar]

Ah, the warlock ability. :P

And no, they don't stack. It's a point of the fact that creating the bracers requires that spell.

They're both armor bonuses to AC.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

The delicate young woman acknowledges what she takes to be a compliment from Kiris with a nod.

"I'm confident that by the time this is all over, we'll all be within each others' trust. And I too would advocating the path not yet taken.

She tests the pull on her bow, hoping that she won't need to use it, and waits to follow Kiris further.

Suggesting as a normal order of movement:

Kiris
[bit of space]
Slate Shimmer
Kasimir Rhapsody

This gives us sturdies in back and front. Slate is easily able to move to support, and Kasimir and Shimmer are able to provide spell support in relative safety. Sound okay?

[Siren]

That is fine with me.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

The dwarf nodded in agreement. "Well, Slate Slabrock says you an' Slate Slabrock oughta getta move on. Slate Slabrock doesn't wanna waste too much time."

I agree with the march order as well.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir narrows his eyes at Shimmer, looking her down. "I'm not so sure about that; from my experiences, trust is a very volatile thing... but that doesn't matter. Whichever way we're going to go, let's go there now. The longer we stay here, the more vulnerable we are."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Why is everyone in such a hurry? Is getting there real fast going to fix everything? Things have already gone wrong, shouldn't we be cautious? Don't you all have something to live for?"

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock says Darian'll protect you an' Slate Slabrock, so you an' Slate Slabrock oughtn't worry. Besides, th' crybaby with th' pointy stick's leadin' th' way."

I apologize for letting Slate's dialect slide, I'm trying to be more careful now and will go back and edit the previous posts to reflect the style of speech that I should have had him using the whole time.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Darien has protected me on my journey so far. I believe he has guided me to the right path along the way. I just hope that I can understand what is best to do so I can make it back to those who need me."
Rhapsody looked around to make sure that the coast was clear.

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

Kiris grinned. "Fair enough, the road less traveled it is."

He lead the way through the north door, offhandedly talking to Slate as he did. "Crybabies tend to populate areas near me, if you consider crying red through your forehead crying, and if you consider that they all end up in a fetal position a sign that they are babes. This stick, by the way, is the Arm of the Death Goddess. Do yourself well and respect it."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Laddie, if you wanna real weapon, you'd use one like Slate Slabrock's. You're lookin' at a genuine stone from th' granite quarry, mined by Slate Slabrock's own pair o' hands." Slate patted the head of his maul. "An' another thing. Slate Slabrock doubts anyone's got th' skill t' always hit th' forehead. Slate Slabrock'll tell you that Slate Slabrock ain't th' most experienced in fightin', but you can't hit 'em where you wanna all th' time. You hit 'em where you can. Besides, Slate Slabrock always thought most o' your fightin' was with th' gobbos, who, if Slate Slabrock remembers right, have green blood." The dwarf then paused, trying to process everything Kiris had said.

[Brom]

Kiris kept moving, resisting the temptation to take a potshot at the Dwarf to see if he could make him cry from his forehead.

"I didn't know one could think so much about something said and have it matter all so little. The Goblins, as it were...I don't know what color their blood is. I was usually either marching from one battlefield to fight them, or busy killing them. The color of their blood never really came up, despite how much of it I put on my Halberd. Secondly, granite? Really? Stone? No; real weapons, you forge out of steel, and you make sure you can kill with it from a nice, long distance. The most common weapon type in the human countries nowadays is the polearm, and that's because it's the most effective weapon for fighting in file. Put it in the hands of a genuine killer like me, and it becomes the most effective weapon, period."

Kiris let the note of pride at his accomplishments ring out without shame.

[Lochar]

As much as I hate to ask... Which road less travelled? North or west?

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer's voice swoops under the two men's rising tones.

Gentlemen, perhaps the two of you can find another time to compare the length, thickness, and skill of your respective weapons, prodigious though you both may be in both areas.

Westward, Mister Kiris?

Shimmer smiles.

I'd suggest, for the sake of completeness, that we start by heading to area 5 on the map and checking the two as-yet-unopened doors there. We can then start to check off areas as we need to.

If that's amenable to all, here are search ([roll0], [roll1]) and listen ([roll2], [roll3]) checks for both of those doors.

[Brom]

((OOC: ''He made his way through the north door''

Road less traveled = north.))

[Lochar]

Sorry about that, didn't catch it. :P

Opening the north door takes a moment, as the sand on this side of it is enough to keep it semi-stuck. But only for a moment.

The door opens up into a hallway of stone, and almost immediately makes a eastern turn. There is much less sand in the hallway, mostly piled in the corners, although there is a small covering across the whole of the ground as well.

As this is an interior passage, there are no windows to allow light in. Only Slate can see with his darkvision, and Kiris is forced to pull out his hooded lantern and light it before you all go much further. ((OOC: I'll let you all decide who gets to carry it, however.))

Moving down the hallway, at each turn, there is an alcove where something probably at one time sat. The alcove is actually not recessed, but more a slight extension out of the wall. Most likely for a light source, although it doesn't look like it would hold a torch or lantern, but something sat on top of it.

The floor and walls pass muster to Shimmer's checks as Kiris leads the way. The passage twists and turns before coming to a split. Left, or northward, leds to room four. Right, or southward, leads to room nineteen and where you first began.

OOC to all:
This place has been mapped out by both you all and the other group as far as what I've already given you. The completely mapped out rooms have nothing in them. Doors that lead to places you don't know haven't been tried yet.

You may consider everything untrapped, etc. up until you get to areas you have yet to explore.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate pointed to the corridor to the left. "Accordin' t' Slate Slabrock's dwarven sense o' direction, you an' Slate Slabrock oughta go to th' left."

[Brom]

((OOC: Where the hell is this map that I keep hearing about?))

[Lochar]

Posted the link in the OOC thread, but here it is again (https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dgqqnbkm_4cz4cn7c7&hl=en).

[Brom]

Kiris nodded.

"Sure, slate. That's what we'll do."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer nods.

Absolutely. Onwards. It won't do us any good to linger here.

She follows into the previously entered room. Unless there's anything new this time, Shimmer points to the door on the far wall.

As I recall, there was a passage through there that we didn't see all of. Perhaps we should start there?

Is there an opening in the tunnel west of area 3, or am I misreading the map? If not, then I guess I'm suggesting we head to the east door of area 3.

[Lochar]

Correct, there is a continuing passageway west of room 3.


Entering into room 4, there are two windows on the east wall, allowing some light to stream in. In this room, there is a good deal of sand on the stone floor as well, piled up higher on the west wall than on the east.

The room hasn't changed from last time, and there are no tracks in the sand here that are not created when you all walk in.

[Siren]

Room 4 is on the map. Doesn't that mean we have been there? I thought Shimmer was asking about the door on the right side or east.

[Lochar]

Nope, Shimmer entered 'into the previously entered room' which is Room 4. Coming from the south, she's pointing to the north door, which goes to the hallway leading to 14, 3, and a path west you haven't gone on yet.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock's dwarven sense o' direction says you an' Slate Slabrock oughta go strait through this room an' take a left."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

It's good to have Slate here. The cold sand and stone are so different than home.

Shimmer nods. And follows.

As we get to the intersection the group hasn't really explored yet, Shimmer will take a look down the passage and (assuming that nothing dangerous seems to be down there), cast Detect Secret Doors.

[Lochar]

From the door into room three, the hallway west goes down forty feet, and again, it's is dark enough that you can't make out much without the lantern. Slate's eyes see that the hallway branches off again, both north and south at the end.

Also, there appears to be an earlier branch off to the south, about thirty or so feet from the group.

Shimmer does not sense any hidden passages down the hallway.

The only thing dangerous down this particular hallway might be the lack of light and the occasional pile of sand.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Slate Slabrock what do your dwarf eyes see?"

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock sees a hallway 'bout sixteen yards long. Then, th' hallway turns left an' right at once. Slate Slabrock says you an' Slate Slabrock go down th' hall to th' pair o' turns, crybabies first."

For those of you who are forgetting, some of us are still using the OOC thread. I suggest that those of you who have stopped doing this should start using it again.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Well then I think we should go to the right or north turn. The left or south turn probably dead ends or goes back to the places we know. Thank you Slate Slabrock. You are very helpful"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer nods, her eyes not shifting from the passage ahead.

I'll do my best to give you advance word if there's something hidden up ahead. I'm fine with Rhapsody's suggestion.

[Brom]

Kiris grunted.

"Stupid darkness."

Offhandedly he remarked to Shimmer. "I assume by advanced notice, you mean you'll tell us if you hear something? How are you going to hear anything over Dwarfies armor? Or even mine? We're a party that has enough iron to forge a fortress."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Funny that th' crybaby calls th' darkness stupid. Slate Slabrock thinks th' darkness'd beat 'em inna argument any day. An' besides, who forges a fortress, 'cept for dwarves? Dwarves'd rather carve 'em out o' a single piece o' stone, anyhow." Slate paused for a second. "Oh, an' about th' explorin', Slate Slabrock says it'd be better t' go left. It looks like it'll dead end. Besides, won't you an' Slate Slabrock need t' go there t' map it out, anyway?"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer doesn't even glance at Kiris, but speaks in a slow, controlled manner.

There are more senses than hearing. I'm opening myself to magical energies which may help warn us about hidden things ahead.

Trust me, I like having you and Slate all armoured up. Kind of sexy, really.

Let's see what's down that side passage to the south before we go further. Shall we?

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock's sorry t' inform you, but Slate Slabrock isn't in to beardless lasses like yourself. Slate Slabrock knows some dwarves're into that kind o' thing, but Slate Slabrock isn't that weird."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I totally understand Shimmer. Much sexier with them all covered up. I don't want to see what they look like underneath either. One of them is like a rock and the other is like a big patch of scars."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer does not look back at Rhapsody, but the smile is evident in her voice.

You say that as if it were a bad thing.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Well, where'll you put all your ribbons? What'll you braid? Th' hair on your head's only givin' you half th' space for those things. But Slate Slabrock can't blame you, not many races're as blessed as th' dwarves when it comes t' feminine beards."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Wow I think we got a really freaky girl on our hands. Slate I am quite glad I don't have a feminine beard. Should we all go down into a dead end though? What if someone comes while we are all there and traps us in there. "

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate patted the head of his great maul. "That's where a good ol' hunk o' granite comes in handy. This hammer's a good thing t' have, too."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Suffice to say that I wouldn't be here if my family had chosen to keep to their own heritages. There is power in such diversity as well, Rhapsody. And if you wish to wait at the intersection while the rest of us explore ahead a bit in one of the passages, I would certainly support that.

[Brom]

Kiris Darkstar

Kiris, as the darkness became more pervasive, allowed Slate to take point with his darkvision and covered him from behind with his Halberd. To the girls, he commented offhandedly.

"What good would armor and weapons if I looked scarred and battered anyways? Nothing under the armor but clean, large muscles and a fit body and mind. Nothing that a rock would know about."

He grumbled a little. "Not fond of this place."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate turned towards the halberdier. "Slate Slabrock thinks that it's th' crybaby that's t' be at th' front o' th' group, not Slate Slabrock. Slate Slabrock doesn't like th' thought o' some crazed loon with a pointy stick standin' behind Slate Slabrock, anyway."

[Brom]

Kiris grinned fiendishly.

"Don't worry, someone like you is too short for my stick. It'd get stuck on the floor trying to aim it that low, and wouldn't be able to use it. Don't worry, this way, with you in front, you might actually get some kills rather than just seeing my halberd decimate everything before you can twitch."

[Lochar]

Bickering all the while, the group moves up a bit, and is able to peer down the first southern passage. Ten feet away is a door.

Ooh, a door.

This one appears to be made of the same light, but hard stone that is hung from all the other door frames. Heavy metal hinges hold it onto the wall. There are still small piles of sand in the area, and what appears to have been another one of the light holders sits to the west, empty of a light source.


To the west of the door, the passage continues on.

Map updated again.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Stepping forward for a moment, Shimmer waits for the others to stop moving for a moment before examining and pausing to listen at the door.

Search [roll0]
Listen [roll1]

Unless she finds/hears something, Shimmer will back off again and signal the all-clear to Slate and Kiris.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I will stay at the intersection to make sure no one comes up behind us. Call me if you are going further than the room or if you need help. Stay safe."

Rhapsody stands with her weapon at the ready at the intersection.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate once again turned to Kiris. "Slate Slabrock'll stop callin' you crybaby if you can do one thing: try an' open that door without any help an' without you blubberin' again."

[Lochar]

The door shows no signs of recent use, nor of any particular visible or even partially visible traps.

With the scraping and banging created by the armor of her companions, Shimmer also does not hear anything from the other side of the door.

[Brom]

Kiris nodded, and opened the door, swinging the halberd through the doorway to clear an immediate arc so nothing on the other sidecould ambush them. Provided the halberd hits nothing significant and clears the doorway and adjacent walls, he steps through.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer steps back to let Kiris take pride of first entry. She is, however, curious.

[Lochar]

The door opens easily enough, if loudly. The metal hinges haven't been used in quite a while, and it shows.

[roll0]
[roll1]


Between the light source and Kiris' eyes, he is able to just barely see some sort of creature scamper into a small hole in the wall, before it vanishes, and he is unable to react fast enough to stop it from doing so.


Looking about the room, there is more sand than one would expect, and sitting on top of the sand are some sort of odd mats. The room shows signs of use, and there are small tracks from some sort of odd creature or creatures.

On the far wall, there is a small hole, that were Kiris saw the creature run into.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Once the door was open, Slate began to clap. "Well done, laddie, you've earned some o' Slate Slabrock's respect. You've grown from crybaby to Blubberin' Boy. By the way, did any o' you catch what just ran in th' hole?"

Is there anything of note inside this room other except the hole? Has there been anything of note in any of the rooms we've mapped out so far? Oh, and just in case Slate can eventually figure out what the creature was: Knowledge (Religion) [roll0]

[Lochar]

Religion won't help you on this one. Also, I did note there were some odd types of mats on the floor here.

The rest of the rooms have been completely bare.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer peers around Kiris shoulder into the darkness.

Well, then, just in case either of these are relevant. You did say mats, right?

Craft (weaving): [roll0]
Know (arcana): [roll1]

[Brom]

Kiris shook his head.

"I don't specialize in identifying creatures. Everything fits in one of two categories if they are important to me; dead or alive."

He waves the rest of the party into the room, and pushes a little farther into it. Deftly, he steps in front of the hole, then sticks his halberd in there and waves it around.

In case it's important, I have a feat that lets me reach an additional five feet with my Halberd, so 15 feet of clearance is provided by my weapon.

While he does this (barring, of course, something meeting his halberd) he chimes in. "Whoever's got the lantern now, get in here. We need to be able to see."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Since no one seemed to be coming, Rhapsody followed the wall and the light back to the room everyone was in. She peered in and saw Kiris on the ground with his halberd in a hole in the wall.

"You guys sure do weird things. Did you see anything? No one said anything so I came to make sure you all were ok. I guess I will stay guarding from outside this doorway."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Show your stick a little more respect! Jammin' it into random holes'll just give it a broken shaft!"

Bro, how did you get it to have that much reach? Halberds aren't even reach weapons.

[Brom]

{{OOC: Yea, they are. And if they aren't, I'd like to ret-con for a reach weapon, because that's the whole f*#*ing point of this build :P

*shrug* It's a feat, gives a 5 foot bonus reach on normally unloved spear weapons. A second feat of mine allows me to use a swift action to give up reach but attack adjacent squares. My whole idea was that I would focus on being able to ''project power.'' That's really when Fighters are effective, I've noticed, is when they project influence over the battle and use the number of different ways they can utilize a weapon over as much of the field as they can.}}

Kiris glared at the Dwarf.

"You have a piece of stone as your weapon; you wouldn't even know when a weapon is close to breaking. Me? I've pulled this thing outta nastier things than a hole. The Arm of Dakku is my love; I know how to wield her. In common; let the Halberdier decide how he uses his kriffing halberd."

[Lochar]

The mats are made of a reed that grows here in the desert on the edge of the water, and makes for good mats and bedding. The odd thing, Shimmer realizes that the reeds only work as good matting for no more than six months.

Kiris' polearm only goes in a few feet before hitting stone, and he can slightly turn the weapon and can feel that the hole goes off to the left, or east. There are no sounds of creatures or anything like that.

The hole itself is a little over two feet high, and about a foot in width.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

It appeared that this insanity between the dwarf and the soldier wasn't going away soon. But they had more significant problems.

Rhapsody, wait a moment, please! You should hear this too.

She pointed at the mats on the floor.

Those are desert reeds, local sourced. But those reeds aren't very durable. They haven't been there for more than a few months. Which means that someone - someone who likes the comfort of a nice reed mat - has built a home in an ancient and very dangerous ruin.

I'd guess that whatever you saw, Kiris, was one of those who lay down the mats. I remember a friend of mine, a one eyed legless barman back west, guy name of Tucker. Talked about getting pinned down in an old mine by a bunch of kobolds. And then he'd point to where his knees used to be.

Point is. This is not good news. Kasimir, if you could bring the light a little closer?

She carefully enters the room and looks around.

Lochar, it's up to you whether a skill check disrupts concentration - I can't find any rulings on this.

If not, then she'd still have her detection spell running, and will use it to scan this room (no other exits, right?). If not, she'll have to do it the old fashioned way, with a Search check [roll0]

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I don't find reed mats all that comfortable personally. I would bet we just saw an underling who would have to make their own bedding. That thing probably just went to tell someone where we are. If there is nothing else here I would suggest we make tracks."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate began to chortle. "Rhapsody, you and Slate Slabrock're already makin' tracks. Th' ground's covered in sand."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody has a frustrated look on her face.

"I meant that we should leave this area so that they will not know exactly where we are."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock knows that much, but Slate Slabrock thought your people're big into such jokes. But enough jokin'." The dwarf pointed at the hole. "You or Slate Slabrock should probably put somethin' dense in front o' that hole, like a rock or th' halberdier's head. That way, what it was that went in th' hole'll have trouble gettin' out."

[Lochar]

Shimmer's magic finds no hidden doors or walls, but a search of the room does bring up a couple of copper coins in the reed mats.

And no, I'm not going to Tucker you all to death. :)

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer leaves the coins where they are, without comment.

I'm happy to leave the blocking of the small tunnel to you, Slate, although I live in hope that we will find a better use for Kiris' head than as a doorstop. And then, perhaps, back out to check that northern passage?

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Looks like th' idea t' block th' hole is a bust." Slate walked over to where the mats were. "If you don't want that money, Slate Slabrock'll take it. Other than that, Slate Slabrock sees no reason for you an' Slate Slabrock t' stay here."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer gestures towards the coins in a clear "be my guest" gesture.

As you wish, Slate. And remind me to have a talk with you about first person pronouns when we rest tonight.

Kiris, if you don't mind doing the honours of taking point again, I'll be behind you. Rhapsody, you're still good to provide rearguard at the intersection?

Shimmer again begins focusing intently on the walls, floor and ceiling of the corridor ahead as they move into uncharted areas.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I don't think you are going to be able to change the way Slate talks. Besides it gives him character or something. I am fine with taking the rear still."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer nods resignedly.

Gives him character. My mother used to say the same thing about adversity. But perhaps that says more about her than it does about adversity.

She sighs, and refocuses on the walls.

[Siren]

OOC: I believe we are going straight up from the room about 10 ft. Then we are taking a left. At the next intersection we are going north. If I am wrong then please correct me.

Rhapsody

Rhapsody was in the new intersection facing towards the north. She squinted trying to look into the darkness.

"Slate do you see anything interesting down this hallway?"

[Brom]

Kiris obeyed the requests of his allies, taking point again. Guy with Halberd at the fore; it was like no one had ever changed.

Only where were the screaming Goblins to impale, decapitate, sweep, cleave in twain vertically, cleave in twain horizontally, cleave into many twains, and to otherwise annihilate?

He wanted screaming Goblins. Preferably sooner rather than later.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock wonders what Slate Slabrock'll see t' th' north."

I hate to break it to you Brom, but twain is a number

[Lochar]

And what to Slate's roving eyes did appear, but a corridor, going north another thirty feet. On the east wall, there is another door, and two passages lead off to the west, one only ten feet from him, and another at the end of the hall.

This far into the tower, the only light available is from the lantern. The winds from outside do not make it this far, and the only sounds are the grinding and clanking of various armors as you all move forwards.

Map updated.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Th' hallway keeps goin' another ten yards. Slate Slabrock can see two other hallways goin' t' th' left, an' a room just up ahead t' th' right. Slate Slabrock says you an' Slate Slabrock oughta go into th' room first."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

"Sounds like a plan. Just give me a moment."

Shimmer briefly relieves Kasimir of the lantern, and shines it down the passages to the north and west as she approaches the door. If all seems quiet, she checks the door over before stepping back.

"Have at her, Slate. Or Kiris. Whatever."

Of course she doesn't say the last part if she finds anything nasty as she Searches [roll0] and listens at [roll1] the door.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate walked up to the door and put his hand on the knob. He turned his head toward Kiris. "O.K. Blubberin' Boy, now Slate Slabrock'll show you how a real hero opens a door." Slate then readied his Maul in his right hand as he opened the door with his left, bracing himself for whatever might be on the other side.

Brom, I suggest you start reading the OOC threads that go with any of the campaigns you're in. They can prove to be quite helpful.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody tried looking around the other party members to see into the room.

"What is in there? Anything dangerous? Anything interesting?"

[Lochar]

The real hero, Slate Slabrock, opens the door. To his darkvision, he sees several things. The first thing he notices is that this is probably one of the largest rooms you've all been in so far.

The second thing he notices is the rather large stone bolt that is being shot at his face from, again, a rather large ballista. Knocked on it's back from behind the ballista is a small scaly creature, and it's rather stunned, although a gutteral chittering seems to be coming from it, and also from inside the rest of the room.

Shimmer and Kasimir

You recognize it as Draconic. There is one voice shouting about that hurting, and then several others yelling to get up.

Combat:

Init: [roll0]

Please everyone roll their init in spoilers, and post away. Don't wait on others to post in their order, I'll make sense of it afterwards.

The ballista bolt at Slate:
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]


Slate is the only one able to see into the room, as the lantern isn't close enough to the room to be shined in. Shimmer currently has control of it, and is pointing it southward, and every does however see a very large piece of sharpened stone fly out of the room and into Slate.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Ah, sorry. I didn't realize it was a bullseye lantern.

It's going to be hard to post actions without knowing what we see in the room, Lochar. If I need to, I'll delay until later in the round when I have that information.

Initiative: [roll0]

Whirling at the big "twanging" sound (with the lantern following suit), Shimmer shines the light into the room with the ballista.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock
HP 39/39, Initiative (See Spoiler)
AC 21, Touch 11, Flat Footed 21

Immediately upon seeing the bolt fly off in some direction that was only remotely towards him, Slate cast Bless to bolster his allies in their fight against their obviously inept foes. "Alright lads, it's time for you an' Slate Slabrock to do some real heroin'!" Slate then grabbed his maul with both hands as he rain in to the door and quickly turned to the left, so that he could make room for the other heroes to enter the fray.

Firstly, I'd like to point out that Slate is using hero as a verb, not suggesting we all use heroin. Secondly, I'd like to remind everyone that Bless grants everyone +1 to hit and +1 on saves verses Fear effects for the next five minutes. Also, with my Initiative roll:

Initiative: [roll0]

On an unrelated note, I'll be house-sitting for someone for the next couple of days, so I'll have slow internet and no access to any of my books. I'll still probably be able to post, just not quite as well.

[Toliudar]

Firstly, I'd like to point out that Slate is using hero as a verb, not suggesting we all use heroin.

Thank goodness! I don't think Shimmer has enough to share.

What? You think she's this mellow by nature?

[Lochar]

Shimmer

Ah, sorry. I didn't realize it was a bullseye lantern.

It's going to be hard to post actions without knowing what we see in the room, Lochar. If I need to, I'll delay until later in the round when I have that information.

Initiative: [roll0]

OOC All:
Actually, it's a hooded lantern, which I mistook for having the effect of a bullseye until I just looked it up. Stupid name. :P

Shimmer will still need to get more or less into the room however to provide light for everyone to see that isn't shadowy. Walls will block bright illumination.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Initiative: [roll0]

I don't know what is up with the light situation so I am assuming my character can not see and she will not act until she can.

"I wish I could see more of what is going on. Shimmer since you are holding the lantern I think you get first dibs on this room. Enjoy."

[Lochar]

The light situation is shadowy illumination in the southwest corner of the room, not enough to see until the light is brought from around the corner.

Everyone delaying until Shimmer is able to step forward and bring light to the situation, she does so, and reveals the room.

There are seven kobolds in the room, one of them lying on it's back having been thrown that way from the ballista. Three of the closest ones hold small bladed weapons, while the three further away hold what appear to be crossbows.

The seventh, stunned one, has a bladed weapon lying next to the ballista.

Map's been updated since yesterday. *shrug* Where on the map do you want to step forward to, Shimmer?

[Gorgondantess]

Sorry for not posting for so long- didn't have much to say.
Anyhoo.
Initiative: [roll0]
CL check for precocious apprentice:[roll1]
And summoning fiendish dire rats. [roll2]
Kasimir watches the bolt as it sails by, then turns back to the dark room. He calls on the demons he had served to aid him, hoping he would get what he desired.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer sidles along the side wall of the chamber, allowing the more violently-tempered members of the group a free path through the door way.

"Don't be stupid, guys. You're trapped in here. Surrender and you don't have to die."

Unless there is some immediate seeing of the light among the kobolds, Shimmer sets the lantern down and whips off a spell. A golden spark streaks across the room, exploding in a cloud of sparkling dust.

Sorry, Lochar - didn't think to check the map.

She'll finish her move action by shifting to the square north of the doorway inside the chamber.
Standard action - casting Glitterdust, although she's using False Theurgy to make it look like she was casting Minor Image. Centred on the kobold standing in square D2, if we treat the room like a spreadsheet (sorry. You know you've been at work too long when...) Will save DC 16.

[Lochar]

Saves, 16 or better required: [roll0]

The three kobolds in the dust all howl as they are blinded by the dust.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody will move up to the closest Kobold and attack. I should still be carrying my great sword so I will attack with that.

Roll for Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

"Great I can see inside! These guys don't look that tough. Time to show them what I can do."

Rhapsody walked up to the Kobold and sliced him with her sword.

[Rathgar]

My position should be D1, by Battleship standards (you know you've been playing board games too long when...)

[Brom]

Apologies for being gone. I didn't have computer access for a few days.

Seeing foes suddenly outlined in Glitterdust, Kiris grinned and stepped forward, coming in for the kill with his Halberd.

Not sure how you are handling taking actions in your game. In one game that I'm in, you state your action and it gets taken when your Initiative comes up. That said:

Initiative: [roll0]
Attack: Gonna power attack 3 points so [roll1]
If hit: Damage [roll2]

I have great cleave. And I'm doing this from 15 feet away (long reach feat.)

[Lochar]

After Shimmer goes into the room, Rhapsody steps in behind her and strikes down one kobold.

And then Kiris enters and kills the rest of them.

There are now seven dead kobolds in the room, and Shimmer has been proven a liar, as they didn't even get a chance to surrender.

[Brom]

Kiris

"Sorry about that. Hell, they probably didn't even understand that you were offering surrender."

Kiris did a double take.

"Wait, did I just apologize for putting my Halberd through six Kobolds? What the hell?!"

Angrily, he looked at Shimmer. [color=sienna]"What else does that dust do? Is it dangerous to your brain if you somehow end up inhaling it? Since when do I apologize for thwacking 'boldies? I just hope Dakku is understanding of this frightening new development."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody looked around the room after killing her Kobold.

"Good that was nice and quick. You seem like you are handy to have around, for now. Also I don't think their dead bodies can hear your apology anyway."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer tilts her head to one side as Kiris rambles through his strange tirade and question.

I wouldn't worry too much, Kiris. Most of my magic is only really effective against those with -

She stops abruptly, grimacing. Then shifts abruptly to a smile again.

There's no way that a few simple kobolds would have had the temerity to set up in this holy place on their own. Which suggests that they're part of a much larger force. Which we might be able to find out something about, if all seven of them weren't, you know. Dead."

Sighing, she began a systematic search of the room's perimeter. Dipping a hand into her bag, she draws out a small stone glowing with a flickering light, the better to aid in her examinations.

"Slate, maybe you could take a look at that ballista? See if it's ancient, or something new that the, ah, 'boldies' might have put in place. If they've entered and set up seige equipment, they're here for the long term."

Searching for further traps or other irregularities in the room. [roll0]

Also, if Kasimir wants to take possession of the lantern again, I've just realized that I've got my own continual light-thing.

[Lochar]

Shimmer:

There is another small hole in the southeast corner, near where the kobold had fallen when it launched the ballista.

Other than that, you'll only find things on the bodies of the kobolds. Three small light crossbows, four small shortswords. They wore no armor, and carried no other items.

[Brom]

Kiris gave a rapt tactical assessment.

"These things are dug in deep. They've got the tunnels -- that's what I think those small holes are -- plus the ballista...but more worrisome than that is that they have mats and holy places. Any good military task force is going to bring in heavy weapons as soon as they can to fortify their hold, but when they start setting up MATS, they've been there too damn long and whatever passes for procurement has long ago covered all other needs. Frankly, I'm surprised they don't have advanced alarm and sentry systems."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody shrugged her shoulders.

"Well we already knew that they had holes in the walls and that they most likely knew we were coming. We are just going to have to be careful. At least this has given us a better idea of what to expect. I guess next time whoever opens the door should stay out of the doorway for a minute in case they shoot something off."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

For the purpose of role playing, I am going to say that one of the kobolds was killed by Slate Slabrock.

Slate wiped the blood off of his maul. "I hope you learned how a real hero opens th' door, Blubberin' Boy. Th' kobolds're so shaken by Slate Slabrock's heroness that they couldn't hit Slate Slabrock with th' big bolt thrower o' theirs. Then Slate Slabrock splattered one o' their head with this huge piece o' granite. You wouldn't've hit any o' them if Slate Slabrock hadn't Blessed you."

[Brom]

Kiris rolled his eyes.

"I hope you learned how a real hero FIGHTS. You got one. I nabbed five. In one swing. While reaching across the room. Without darkvision using nothing but the color of dancing silhouettes caused by glitterdust. I think you should stow it for a bit, shortstock."

[Brom]

The ironic thing about that statement was that I didn't even add your Bless bonus to damage or to hit. I remembered after posting and then figured that, between the fact these were Kobolds, my Halberd owns large groups of poorly armored humanoids, and my initiative roll, it wouldn't matter. =D

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Hold on, Blubberin' Boy, when'd you learn t' change your accents so well?"

Brom, I may be mistaken, but I think you're supposed to keep the same color. Honestly, I liked seeing Sienna getting used. It never gets any love.

[Brom]

It doesn't get loved because it deserves no love. I'd like to keep red. Much less lame.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer dusts off her hands.

Another small hole here. That means that what Slate saw in the last room was probably a kobold, and he's gotten away. Which means we may yet get some of those sentry systems you were hoping for Kiris. You're okay to resume point?.

She hands off the lantern to Kasimir, keeping the glowing stone kept in her left hand as a backup.

[Brom]

It doesn't get loved because it deserves no love. I'd like to keep red. Much less lame.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody looked out the doorway and turned her head in both directions.

"Which way are we going? Are we going straight from the doorway or to the right?"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer shrugs.

I'd recommend the north passage, since the southern of the two tunnels is likely to rejoin a section we've already explored. Either way, though, knowing kobolds' penchant for surprises, it might be best if I join Kiris at the fore.

Unless there are objections, Shimmer will reluctantly join Kiris towards the front of the group. She will search for traps as they go (let me know if you need more rolls of any kind:

Search: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]
Spot: [roll2]

[Lochar]

A quick look down the first passage proves that Shimmer is correct in that it connects to the part of the map already searched.

That part of the map does, however, connect to a single door that you have yet to explore.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"You an' Slate Slabrock oughta go ahead and check that door, so that none o' you forget t' check it later."

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir dismisses his fiends, obviously a bit vexed at their uselessness... but amused at the same time. Obviously, these fellows are a bit more competent than I had assumed... After he hears the converstaion between Slate and Kiris, ...but not much. He takes the lantern, nodding to Slate at his suggestion to check the door.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody followed behind everyone checking behind them many times.

"I hope this door has less exciting stuff than the last one. Although a Kobold is a better surprise than most."

Rhapsody thumped Kasimir on the back.

"You can lighten up a little and talk to us guy. You must be the serious studious type huh? I like that kind of guy. Unlike some..." Looked at Kiris "those type of guys have brains."

[Brom]

Kiris growled in response to Shimmer's comment.

"Don't mistake me for stupid. I simply don't restrain myself or confine myself in the way that the gentry use to mark themselves as different. Apart. I use my weapon for that. Past that, I'm fine sounding like a more common kind of folk."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer looks blankly at Kiris for a moment.

"Uh. Okay. You're common but not stupid. Got it. Can we go now?"

She resumes her focus on the hallway ahead.

[Lochar]

The door that hasn't been explored yet is untrapped, and opening it reveals a room with a single stone column in the center, with stairs up cut into it. There is an opening in the ceiling that the spiraling staircase goes up to and through, although you can't see what is beyond there.

The room itself has a heavier amount of sand for an internal room than you've seen so far, and the sand actually covers the whole floor. There are bootprints in the sand that lead up to the column.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer gives up trying to shine her light in such a way as to illuminate the darkness into which the column ascends.

My inclination is to finish exploring this floor first - leave fewer surprises behind - but what does everyone else think.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir jumps a bit at being "thumped" on the back- but then returns to his previous poise. Falling into step with Rhapsody, "Studious, you say... yes, I suppose you could call me that. In fact, I've spent the past several years in my 'studies'." Studies indeed... Heh... heh. "It's really quite interesting, actually... although I doubt one such as yourself would find it interesting. In fact, you might even find it... quite unenjoyable." HAhahaha... true that. Heheh... "But I digress. Yes, I have been very quiet. My years of study have quite cut me off from the social world- in fact, one could say my social life has been all but nonexistent. Of course, I am of the opinion that one cannot help but have some kind of human interaction." Though not always friendly. Throughout this, Kasimir retains the semblance of stoicism and scholarliness, as much as he can at least.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody walked a little closer to Kasimir and looked at him intently while he was speaking.

" Ooo tell me, tell me what you were studying. I am so curious and you were so vague. Please."

Before Kasimir could answer Rhapsody turned towards Shimmer and talked to her.

"I also believe we should very cautiously check this floor first. One should always watch their back. You never know when you will find someone behind you."

Then Rhapsody turned back towards Kasimir and waited for him to tell her.

[Lochar]

Continue your conversation if you want, you can delay responding to this until you actually move.

Backtracking to the kobold's room, the more northern passage is led by both Kiris and Shimmer. Shimmer's sharp eyes spot nothing in the sand and dark filled halls, with only the light from her continual flame and the lantern behind them to guide them. Well, minus Slate's vision.


The passage goes west only a short ways before turning south once more, and actually winds around a bit before you end up at another door. Again, it is a heavy stone door, the same as the past few. There are no signs of anyone having moved through this part of the temple before you all, although there's really not enough sand to make tracks stand out to your untrained eyes.

Map updated.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir looks over to Rhapsody, brows raised. "Well, in my early years I discovered I had a talent for magic. It was very important to me, and as such I went on to study ways to further my powers- arcane theory, that kind of thing. All very dry. Well, long story short, soon enough I was fiddling with the fabric of the universe, poking holes in it to see what's on the other side, dealing with demons for the sake of knowledge and power, all things profane, demonology, etcetera, and so now I'm studying how to spit on a god. Metaphorically, of course. It all has a purpose, in the end."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate began to yell after the sorcerer spoke such heresy. "Why on earth'd you spit on a god!? Has Slate Slabrock learned you t' respect th' gods!? You'd better show th' gods some respect, 'specially th' one that's helped you an' Slate Slabrock th' most here, Darian himself!"

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Oh leave him alone Slate. To each their own. Would you want someone to tell you who to worship?"


Rhapsody cocked her head to the side and looked at Kasimir.

"Really though why would you want to spit on a god? Even metaphorically, it still sounds like you want to do something bad to one. Sounds like it would cause you a lot of trouble. Did something really bad happen to you? Wait is that why you are here?"

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir laughs deeply at the outburst he recieves, and goes on affably. "I did say you might find it unenjoyable. And besides, I was joking. Well, partially; but let me tell you I have my own vendetta and motivations. Yes, something bad happened to me, and yes, it is the reason I came here. It will not effect you, unless one of my pursuers happens to find me whilst I am in your presence. Beyond that, it is nothing you need concern yourself with- it is my problem to deal with, as I brought it upon myself. And I was speaking to the lady, not you." He nods towards the dwarf, and speaks in a lower, relaxed tone. "Keep your beard out of problems that don't concern you, or you may well lose it. That is not a threat- it is a suggestion."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Well I am sure we all have different reasons for being here. I have my own pursuers, well maybe I do. I might have lost them. About the unenjoyable part well," Rhapsody shrugged "we all are different. Whatever makes people happy they should do it. I just hope your life has been happy whatever you have been doing. Thanks for finally talking. It is weird to travel with someone and not know anything about them."

Rhapsody smiles at Kasimir.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir nods to Rhapsody. "Oh? Well... I cannot say my life has been happy. Nonetheless, I am striving towards that. Although, I must say, you haven't said much about yourself, either. I know little about you other than the weapons you carry, though I may be mistaken in this- I'm afraid I have been lost in my own thoughts lately. It's been refreshing to escape them, talking to you- though that is nothing to say that I will not fall prey to them once more, caught off-guard when I least expect it."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Well people tried to run my life when I was little and I went against their plans. I have been trying in my own way to make people's lives happy, but that has come to nothing. For now I just need to stay alive and be forgotten."

Rhapsody holds up her sword.

"This sword is named Friendmaker. All my swords have names. They are all special. To you this is probably all trivial though."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Enjoying the conversation that, at the very least, seemed less likely to end up with someone bleeding, Shimmer set to work examining the heavy stone door. She gave it the standard once over before stepping back and gesturing for either Kiris or Slate to open it.

Search [roll0]
Listen [roll1]

[Lochar]

Shimmer finds nothing that would cause alarm on the door, and hears nothing but armor clanks.

[Brom]

Kiris nodded and accepted point, and listened keenly to the others in the group talking as he held the fore.

After hearing the chatter die down, he threw in a quick query. "Pursuers? As in, people might try to come after us?"

Kiris thought about how that made him feel for a moment. "I don't know what to think about that. I'm guessing if they show up and attack us, I won't need to think, just slice. That's ok with you guys, right?"

Upon seeing the heavy stone door, he opened it, then stepped out of the doorway to see if a ballista shot came out, ushering everyone to get out of the doorway with a hand gesture as he did so. Provided no shots came through, he swept the doorway within a fifteen foot arc with his halberd, leaning in just enough to swing the weapon around, and then came inward.

[Lochar]

The doorway swings open, and there are no attacks. The halberd clangs when it is swung to the left against the wall, and nothing is hit in the rest of the arc.

Looking into the room, you find a few more of the reed mats, and what looks to be the remains of a backpack. A piece of rope and some rations are strewn about the room, leaving a feeling of hasty departure.

There is yet another tunnel hole in the far wall.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Since it seemed unlikely that anything she would say would keep Kiris from swinging first and looking - let alone thinking or asking questions - later, Shimmer saved her breath. There were times for brute force, and for all she knew, they'd be stepping into a passel of those times in the next little while.

She looked at the heavy stone door.

"Hmm. It seems a potential concern that the kobolds can use those little tunnels and we can't. What if we were to close off the use of these doors, to keep them from accessing the passages with them.

"Slate, do you think that you could use your gift for stonecraft to jam one of these doors closed, in such a way that there's no easy way to re-open it from either side?"

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody was deep in thought for a minute.

"Well I don't know about Kasimir's pursuers, but mine would most likely only be after me. I don't see any reason they would come after you. Feel free to attack and not ask questions though. There is no one looking for me that I care to talk to."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock doesn't have many stoneworkin' skills. Slate Slabrock's family worked in a quarry, not as stonemasons or sculptors. Slate Slabrock can recognize things made o' stone, an' Slate Slabrock can try an' rig up somethin' made o' stone, but all Slate Slabrock can think t' do right now'd be puttin' a big stone block in th' way."

[Lochar]

Slate also realizes that smashing the stone hinges would make the doors nearly impossible to open or close, although it is possible that it would also just fall right out of the frame.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock could break th' hinges on th' door. Iffin' th' door acts like it oughta work, either it'll get stuck an' hard t' move, or it'll just fall out o' th' doorway entirely."

Sorry for just restating what you just told me, but I couldn't think of any other way to put it. Also, for some reason I was thinking the doors were wooden, and thus I was confused as to how stone working was relevant.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer shifts well away from the door.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. Might as well give it a try."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Shouldn't we just break the door off the hinges and use it to block the hole. We just need to block the hole right? The door should be heavy enough to keep them in. It will probably take two of us to move it."

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"That's an idea so good you'd think Slate Slabrock came up with it. Here's th' plan as Slate Slatrock sees it. First, all of you go t' th' side o' th' door that doesn't have th' hinges. Second, Slate Slabrock breaks th' hinges with Slate Slabrock's maul. Then all of you push on th' door till it falls out o' th' doorway. After that, you'll help Slate Slabrock move th' door t' where it's in front o' th' hole in th' wall."

[Lochar]

It takes five or six good swings for each of the two hinges to break, and Slate steps out of the way as the door is pushed down. It makes a fairly loud slam against the ground, and one edge, where Slate hit it instead of the hinge, crumbles slightly, but no where near enough to mess with it's integrity.

It takes three of you to lift the thing with anything approaching ease, as you'd guess the door's weight to be at around four hundred pounds.

The door is placed against the hole in the room's back wall, blocking it off.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Are we going back to the staircase now or is there something else we need to do?"

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock says you an' Sate Slabrock oughta go on an' finish explorin' this floor. Slate Slabrock says to keep goin' down this hallway an' see where it'll go."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

The brown-skinned woman nods approvingly.

"Absolutely. Let's finish off this floor first."

She sets off alongside Kiris.

Search [roll0]

[Siren]

Where are we heading to on the map exactly?

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate grew tired of standing still, so he shouted at the rest of the party. "You an' Slate Slabrock're gonna go this way, now! The dwarf then started walking down the hallway on his own.

He is walking towards hallway connecting to the northwest of Room #13 and walk down that hallway to see what is there.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir looks up from his thoughts, and smiles wryly. "Well, who can argue with that?" then follows after, expediently.
I am too, slate. I am too. This game has been going pretty slow...

[Lochar]

The path leads around and around, and the only light comes from those you carry.

Going south and then almost immediately north, you once again come to a door made of the same stone. Shimmer searches the door, and finds no traps. Having the rest of the group hush and quit moving for a moment, she is finally able to put her ear to the door and listen. She can hear the scrabbling movements of several creatures behind the door.

Yes, it's going kinda slow but I'm also trying to get others to have input as well.

*shrug*

Map's updated.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"So who gets the honor of opening the door and possibly getting shot at this time? I am not offering. I like my head."

Rhapsody stands at the ready in case something comes out of this door.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer steps forward, at least to check on the door's conditions from this side. Her voice is soft and chiding.

"Now, now. We're in this together, remember? With such an attitude, we won't get anywhere at all."

Search [roll0]
Listen [roll1]

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock'll open th' door. Blubberin' Boy might do th' thing with th' pointy stick he normally does an' break th' shaft, or somethin' valuable in there." After waiting for everyone to get out of the doorway, Slate opened the door and stepped to the side.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

The young woman does indeed step well out of the way, but holds up her ligh-giving stone to help identify whatever might be within.

[Brom]

Kiris didn't even bother to retort to that one. Dwarves were stubborn, stupid creatures; he would repeat the same tired nonsense about blubbering well after people had stopped caring.

He did his entrance procedure, sweeping either side of the doorway and clearing it.

Assuming his shaft doesn't break in the process, he pulled his weapon out and motioned for others to make their way in.

[Lochar]

The room seems to be a fairly large one, with a multitude of jutting rock and stone. Something apparently happened in here to break the floor and raise stone like this.

However, what catches everyone is the fact that they can hear gutteral chanting. It sounds like there are at least six voices doing this.

Those who speak Draconic:

"Rise, sand walker! Rise, and obey!"

This is repeated time and time again.

In the center of the room, a large pile of sand starts to shake and pulls itself upright.

Combat stuff:
Init of sand: [roll0]
Other inits: [roll1]

All, please roll init.

[Brom]

Initiative[roll0]

Taking a hold action. Not sure what to do, going to watch the situation unfold.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Initiative:[roll0]

[Lochar]

You have light enough to see what I described. Shimmer specifically held her light out to do so.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock
HP 39/39, Initiative [roll0]
AC 21, Touch 11, Flat Footed 21

"What're you doin', Blubberin' Boy!? Well, if you're goin' t' do all that, go on in first!" Slate then casts a spell to aid the party's fight against the threatening sand.

Slate will cast Bless, giving everyone +1 to hit and on saves against fear for the next five minutes. Then he'll wait our halberdier to go on in.

[Brom]

HP is 74/74, AC 21, Touch 14, Flat Footed 18.

Kiris snarled, and charged ahead. As he did, he threw an bewildered confession. "This thing is a moving cloud of SAND! Strange sorceries! Who am I to think that a normal weapon will even hurt this thing?"

Nevertheless, Kiris charges.

He swings right at the sand creature.

[roll0] Kiris is taking a -6 penalty to attack bonus.

Damage: [roll1]

Jeez, I never thought listening to the song ''Enter Sandman'' while online would be so appropriate.

AC is 19 for the purposes of the charge.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

"Oh, shut up."

It soon becomes clear that she was not speaking to the eternally wrangling Slate and Kiris, but the chanting possibly-kobolds. The chanting abruptly cuts off.

Initiative: [roll0]

I'm assuming that, even if she can't see the chanters, she can tell where the chanting is coming from. She's casting Silence, focused in a point in space where she thinks it will block the sound.

[Brom]

What's up, guys? Who's turn is it to post?

[Brom]

We're not scuttling this campaign, are we?!

[Lochar]

OOC ALL:

1: Use the OOC thread.
2: I'm waiting on Gorgondantess' init at least.

[Gorgondantess]

Ehh. Sorry bout that. I'm still in, if there's any doubts as to that matter; the past few days I haven't been able to get on the forums very well.:smallannoyed:
Anyhoo, initiative: [roll0]
Knowledge: arcane[roll1]
Aaand planes:[roll2]
spellcraft for good measure:[roll3]
eldritch blast hit:[roll4]
Unt damage:[roll5]
Kasimir narrows his eyes, looking over this... sand thing, whatever it is. He "prods" it with a blast of magic, observing its reaction and searching his mind for what it might be.

[Lochar]

Init
19: Sand creature, Shimmer
17: Kasimir
13: Others
6: Kiris
5: Slate, Aoi


Even as the sand creature begins to move towards you all, Shimmer's magics take effect in a corner of the room, breaking the voices of two of the chanters.

The creature seems to weaken a bit, but still comes. It actually seems to engulf Shimmer, allowing her a chance to strike at it before it starts attacking her.
Map:


______
/o o\
/ \
/o o\
/ \
/ \
/o o\
-------|$|---------
S

$ is the sand creature.
S is Shimmer.
The rest of you are outside the room further.
The upper and center left o's have a silence effect over them.

The room is full of difficult terrain. Balance DC 10 to be able to charge, or must move at normal speed.

The rest of the group is still outside the southern door, and must pass through the door to get into the room.

You may repost your actions to take into consideration the changes.


Attack on Shimmer:

Damage: [roll0]
Reflex save DC 16 or blinded for [roll1] rounds from the sand.


K: Planes of 15 or higher

It's a bound earth elemental, being forced into an unnatural state to give life to the sand.

Spellcraft 20 or higher:
It's a summoning spell, that requires a continuous chant. Each summoner gives more strength to the creature being summoned.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Given the laoyout of the map, the one thing Shimmer would definitely not have wanted to do is block the doorway, preventing others from moving in if they wanted. Could we add a 5' step south to the end of her action? I don't mind her taking the attack regardless.

Attack of opportunity with Shimmer's silver dagger:

[roll0] Attack
[roll1] Damage

Shimmer is currently AC 17, HP 22

[Lochar]

Coughing and hacking, Shimmer stumbles back a few steps, outside the creature's body.

Shimmer:Still need the reflex save though.

And do you know how hard it is to NOT type Reid?

[Toliudar]

Boy, do I!

Reflex save: [roll0]
Spellcraft, I suppose: [roll1]

Shimmer

Shimmer writhes in the tendrils of the sand-creature.

"Augh! What is this thing? I can't get it out of my eyes. Or my hair! Do you have any idea how destructive sand is to hair?!"

[Brom]

I did check OOC for a few days and no one was saying anything. Had me worried.

Kiris holds his hand; "Does anyone know what in the name of the GOD'S that IS? How do I kill it?!"

Taking hold action, will act as soon as someone tells him what the hell it is and how to kill it.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Take a tip from a pro like Slate Slabrock. T' kill th' sand monster, hit it till it dies."

I'm still keeping the actions as I posted them earlier.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir crouches down, looking through the room. "Take a tip from a man educated in these matters, unlike Slate Slabrock. To destroy this thing, kill the cnaters; do this, and it will fall." As he says this, Kasimir leaps past the snad monster, into the room with the chanters and blasts the nearest one with his magic.
Going for magic missile, rather than eldritch blast; I'm assuming here that the sand thing is not completely blosking the entrance.
Tumble check, if needed:[roll0]
magic missile damage:[roll1]

[Siren]

Rhapsody
HP 46/46, Initiative 5
AC 18, Touch 13, Flat Footed 15

"Well I am going to try to keep this thing busy, since I don't want to try to squeeze past."

Move up to sand creature and attack.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

[Brom]

Kiris follows suit, going past the sand monster into the room and seeking out a 'caster.' If there was some Kobold in the other room behind this, it was so many kinds of dead....

Going into the room. Looking for Kobolds. If I still have turn left, killing them. :P

[Lochar]

Kasimir:

You don't know magic missile...

[Lochar]

Kasimir closes his eyes before diving through the sand creature, managing to keep from being blinded even as the sand tears at his body. Landing with a thud behind it, Kasimir opens his eyes to find several kobolds chanting in place, two of them looking aggrivated at being silenced.

His Eldritch Blast rips into one of the chanters that still can be heard, taking a large section of it's side out, but it does not fall. The kobold barely manages to keep chanting even as it presses a paw to it's wounds.

The two kobolds under the silence effect move away from it, one of them managing to come out from underneath it, further away from the door. As it's voice joins back in the chant, the sand creature strengthens. The sand spins faster and more violently, picking up a bit more from the local area to add to it's body.

Kiris moves calmly through the body of the creature ignoring the sand whipping at him. Seeing the kobolds, he strikes out at the already wounded one, removing head from body. Keeping the stroke going, he whips the halberd around to catch another one close by, but the long weapon skitters off of the stone wall as the kobold ducks.

Slate and Rhapsody continue to harrass the sand creature, trying to draw it's attentions away, but their weapons don't seem to affect it.

Attacks:

Rolled reflex saves for both Kiris and Kasimir, thankfully both saved.

Damage to Kasimir: [roll0]
Damage to Kiris: [roll1]



Map:

Map:[spoiler]


______
/o o o\
/ \
/ o\
/ \
/ $ \
/o k \
-------||---------
sSR

$ is the sand creature and Kasimir
S is Shimmer.
k is Kiris.
s is Slate.
R is Rhapsody.

o are the kobold. The upper left one has a silence effect over it.


--End Round 1--

Init:

19: Sand creature, Shimmer
17: Kasimir
13: Kobolds
6: Kiris
5: Slate, Aoi


The sand creature, driven by the kobold chanting, moves back into the room, passing through Kiris and stopping in Kasimir's area, choking and blinding the man.

Slate:

Rock sense tingling. There has to be something to bind this thing back together.


Need Reflex saves of DC 16 from Kasimir and Kiris for blinding.
Damage:
Kasimir: [roll2]
Kiris:

--Shimmer and Kasimir go, then the kobolds.

[Lochar]

Damage to Kiris: [roll0]

[Gorgondantess]

good roll, good roll, good roll.....
[roll0]
*sigh*. The dice gods have certainly been against me as of late. And I'm only at 7 hp left- it was time to leave. At least I might be able to be of some use... but pity I'd already used my precocious apprentice for the day; some fiendish dire rats would be a lot more useful than a silent image.
Kasimir, blinded and wounded, but keeping poise, silently bolts out in the direction of the door, drawing his spear as he goes. Once out, he feels his way to an area where he might be obscured from view, then works his magics, making an illusion; a figment of himself, spear drawn, sprinting into the room and waving it wildly.

[Brom]

HP is 50 counting all damage taken so far. Reflex save; dice gods be with me.

...This isn't a good save of mine. [roll0] Similar lament, I suppose I'm blind now?

Kiris snarls as the sand ravages his eyes, but continues deeper into the room to where he saw the Kobolds.

I'm going to kill every one of them. All of them. I will cut a bloody swath, mark this as a holy temple for whatever deity appreciates my genocidal cleansing, and I will send a river of their souls teeming to Dakku. For Dakku, for the lady of death...but get this SAND out of my eyes.

Would trying to rub it out of my eyes help get me unblinded faster? How long am I blind for?

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock
HP 39/39, Initiative 5
AC 21, Touch 11, Flat Footed 21

"Slate Slabrock's rock senses are tinglin'! There's got t' be somethin' bindin' th' sand back together. You an' Slate Slabrock'll probably be best off if that thing's smashed!" As he yelled these words, Slate ran over to Kasimir and applied his healing touch.

Mover over to Kasimir and cast Cure Moderate Wounds on him [roll0].

[Siren]

Rhapsody
HP 46/46, Initiative 5
AC 18, Touch 13, Flat Footed 15

"Yay an opening! I'm so glad I waited."

Rhapsody moves towards the closest Kobold. If she can attack it then she will.

Attack Roll: [roll0] Higher than usual because of bless

Damage Roll: [roll1]

[Lochar]

Kasimir and Kiris:

Blind for Kasi: [roll0] rounds.
Blind for Kiris: [roll1] rounds.

Kasi didn't use her spell to summon the rats yet, because the last enemies died in the round you began summoning. They died before your full round casting finished.

[Gorgondantess]

His spell to summon the rats, His, not her. He's a guy. Anyhoo, that's just super, let's assume I did that, summoning a fiendish wolf to kill the chanters.
CL check:[roll0]

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

"Ack! Ptui! What IS that thing?"

Desperately wiping the sand from her eyes, Shimmer stumbles forward into the room. She struggles to orient on more of the voices, and sends more of the gift of silence their way.

Assuming that she can orient by sound, Shimmer will move about 10' forward into the room, and then send Silence towards the place where multiple voices are coming from (presumably, the far right corner, from her perspective. Again, aiming for an area rather than an individual. Not that she could target an individual right now anyway. :smallwink:

[Lochar]

Shimmer's magics silence the back half of the room, leaving one lone kobold chanting. You can actually hear the desperation in it's voice as the sand creature nearly completely stops spinning.

Kasimir blindly ducks out of the room and begins a long chant himself, designed to summon an otherworldly creature into being.
Full round action. And I don't know why the hell I keep typing her. I did it again.

Probably because your board name looks female to me. *sigh*

The kobolds, still chanting silenced, slowly move south but cannot get outside of the silence effect. The lone kobold still audibly chanting backs deeper into it's corner.

Rhapsody moves in and strikes heavily against the kobold, who doesn't have a concentration check high enough to continue chanting after the damage. The sand creature falls apart as the kobold whimpers at the sword's deep wound.

Slate applies healing to Kasimir as Kiris steps into the room blind, swinging wildly towards where he last heard the chanting.
[roll0]

1-25 hits. If it does, kobold dead.

--End Round 2--

--Shimmer

OOC:
There are four healthy kobolds, Shimmer is no longer blinded, Kasimir and Kiris end blind on their turn.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Clearing the last of the sand from her eyes, Shimmer looks around and assesses the situation. Kiris, Rhapsody and Slate would doubtless be able to take care of the remaining kobolds. She was no longer sure who could and couldn't hear her, but it was worth a try.

Shimmer dropped her light-giving stone on the ground and retreated back into the doorway, her dagger held high to discourage any of the kobolds from making a break for it.

"Try to keep at least one alive! We really need to know what the hell is going on here."

Basically, just trying to cut off the doorway as an avenue of escape. If any kobolds approach, she'll take an attack of opportunity.

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock
39/39 HP, Initiative 5
AC 19, Touch 9, Flat Footed19

Slate liked Shimmer's idea very much, and closed in on the remaining kobold. "Slate Slabrock'll knock 'im out for you real quick."

Charge the remaining kobold, trying to deal nonlethal damage (-4 to hit penalty) while wielding his maul in both hands.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edit: I forgot my own Bless effect, which is inexcusable, especially after telling everyone not to forget. Add +1 to that roll, not that it'll likely matter.

[Gorgondantess]

Does the blindness end at the beginning or end of my turn?

[Lochar]

Beginning of your turn.

[Siren]

Rhapsody
HP 46/46, Initiative 5
AC 18, Touch 13, Flat Footed 15

"While you are trying to knock that one out, I will kill one of the others."

If it gets to my turn I will attack the nearest Kobold.

Attack Roll: [roll0]

Damage Roll: [roll1]

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir, shaking the sand out of his eyes, confidently strides back into the room, a devilish, slavering beast at his heels- a proper gift from his patrons. He points to the nearest, unassaulted kobold, and the wolf leaps at it, snarling. As he does so, with the other hand he makes a fist, pointing it at the furthest chanter; as he does so, an arm comes out of the sand, lunging for the kobold.

Earthen grasp attack: [roll0]
damage:[roll1]
wolf attack:[roll2]
bite:[roll3]
trip, if a hit:[roll4]

[Lochar]

The kobolds fumble around, trying to find the edge of the silence effect. Two of them manage to, and begin their chanting again. The sand starts to stir once more.

Unfortunately for the newly arising sand creature, Kasimir's wolf rips into one, along with the blades of Rhapsody and Kiris.

Slate's charge with his maul manages to dent more stone than kobold, but Kasimir's stone hand grabs the kobold.

In seconds, you are left with one living yet pinned kobold, and three more dead ones.

The sand, which had begun to restir, settles once more.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Once the kobolds were safely dealt with, Shimmer dismissed the silences and sashays towards the kobold.

"Nice work, all. Perhaps we'll become a team yet."

She slides in close behind the kobold, tapping on its skull lightly with the point of her dagger. Her voice becomes very, very soft.

"Now, then. We're about to become very good friends. Because we both know that there are far, far worse things than simply dying. So, you're going to tell me your name, little one, and then you're going to tell me what you're all doing here."

Happy to take aid another actions in support of this! Shimmer will try to Intimidate [roll0] the kobold.

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir dismisses the earthen grasp, just standing silently behind Shimmer, hands folded across his chest. The devil wolf stands at his side, snarling at the still living kobold.
Sure, I'll aid another. And Mr. Wolf will help too; you don't need words if you're a slavering hell beast. Interestingly enough, Shimmer, a harmless looking sort, has a far better intimidate score than something like a fiendish wolf. Really, it shouldn't be charisma based... there is nothing scary about a pixie, but they have an intimidate just as good as your average orc.
Anyhow.
Wolf:
Kasimir: [rol]1d20+5

[Siren]

Rhapsody

Rhapsody is not amused by all these Kobolds coming after them. She decides to join the others getting the Kobold to cooperate. She keeps her sword out to help in convincing.

Aiding another to intimidate.
[roll0]

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Seeing that the kobold he tried to K.O. has been captured conscious instead, Slate began to beat his maul with his fist. "You better do as th' lady says, or Slate Slabrock'll shove this piece o' granite in a place you'd rather it not go."

Seeing how the head of that maul is probably about the same size as the kobold himself, I don't think the kobold is particularly looking forward to the experience. Also, I'll be performing an Aid Another action for the Intimidate check we're making. Too bad I'm so gruff that nobody's intimidated by me. In my game, I'll probably find a fix for that, but I don't want t o get too off topic here.

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Lochar]

The kobold's eyes go very, very wide in fear.

Those who speak Draconic:

"Kerzeth! Kerzeth! I is Kerzeth!"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer looks up, grateful for the help of her companions. This was not her favourite tactic, but it should be effective under the circumstances. Her voice remains soft and smooth. She switches to the draconic tongue.

"That's good, Kerzeth. Now, for the second question. What are all of you doing here? Are you looking for something in particular in the temple, or have you made a permanent home here?"

[Lochar]

Draconic:

"It's our home! You no allowed in home!"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer translates for the others.

"It seems the kobolds have set up a home here. Any other questions for Kerzeth?"

She starts with her own question back in draconic, and then adds in the others as they chime in.

"Well, I'm afraid that we're going to have to roll out our own welcome mat, Kerzeth. We've come far too far to turn around now. But there's no need to kill all of you if we don't have to. How many floors are there in this complex, and about how many of you?"

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir steps forward, holding out a hand. "Allow me, if you would be so kind." He kneels down next to the kobold, intoning in draconic,
There have been too many deaths, too much killing, friend. Tell your allies to allow us to pass through here peacably, and there will be no more fighting, no more losses to your tribe; we have already killed many, and we would rather not have to kill even more.
As he says this, drawing the kobold's attention, he weaves a spell in with the words to make himself... more appealing.
Charm person, will save vs. DC 16. Using sleight of hand to attampt to hide it. [roll0]

[Lochar]

Draconic:

"You no belong in our home. Lots of us, few of you. We get you eventually!"

Kerzeth points to Kasimir. "I no fall for your tricks!"

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Tapping twice, lightly, on the back of Kerzeth's skull, Shimmer clucks her tongue.

"Naughty Kerzeth. If Kerzeth doesn't speak with respect, Kerzeth starts to lose bits of Kerzeth. Slowly.

"How many of you are there in this place Kerzeth? And are there other creatures - creatures other than kobolds - that you share this place with?"

[Lochar]

Kerzath scowls. "You kill others, you kill Kerzath once I give you things. Why not just kill Kerzath now, save trouble?"

Kerzath's face takes on a look of concentration, before the kobold's hands flash in Shimmer's face and he barks the word for Flame in draconic. From his hands come burning flames, which push out in the local area, catching Shimmer and Kasimir.


Shimmer: [roll0] fire damage, reflex save DC 13 for half.
Kasimir: [roll1] fire damage, reflex save DC 13 for half.

Burning Hands, cast defensively.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Um, okay. But Shimmer explicitly stepped up behind the kobold, whereas Kasimir stepped in to face Kreshner.

Reflex: [roll0]

Shimmer barely stifled a scream of pain.

Note to self. Tell Kasimir not to dismiss the spell holding the prisoner in place next time. Or take the time to tie him up first.

Smarting from the flames, Shimmer made no effort to keep the anger from her voice.

"Because, Kreshner, a quick death is not what you've just earned yourself."

Taking a step back from the kobold, Shimmer gestured, and sent out a blast of force designed to incapacitate, but not kill, the little blighter.

Casting Whelm. I'm away from books, but as I recall, it's a targeted spell doing 1d6/2 levels of nonlethal damage, fort save? If so, [roll1] damage, DC 15 save.

[Lochar]

He's Small sized, and UP is a direction.

It's 3d6 (1d6 + 1d6 per two levels above 1.)

[roll0]


The little kobold doesn't expect your quick reaction, and is just as quickly unconscious.

[Gorgondantess]

Reflex save:1d20+4]

[Gorgondantess]

Grumble grumble, stupid dice roller...
[roll0]...
good. I'm not in negative. Just at 1 hp.
Kasimir leaps to the side as the flames come out, grimacing. He gets up shakily, holding his burnt arm. "Well, that certainly could have gone better..."

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I don't think he is going to cooperate. Do you want me to kill him? I would rather not torture him."

[Brom]

Kiris' lips pull back in a feral expression. "If you don't want to torture him, I will. 'See, there's some things I can think of doing with a knife..."

Apologies for being infrequent in posting.

"The bastard is one of the causes of that rotten sandstorm. I wouldn't mind him being in pain. Perhaps I should put my fingers in his eyes, see how he enjoys being blind. You can tell him that, if you want."

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir pulls out his spear, turns around, and glares at Kiris. "I won't interfere with your business... but to torture him, simply for malign intent, is barbaric. He fought not for the kill, or for personal gain, but to defend his home from intruders. For that, he deserves a clean death. If you feel the need to prolong his pain, then I won't interfere- go ahead. But don't expect me to like it, or to think anything of you in the future."
Kasimir has a certain set of principles that he uses to try to balance out the evils in his life. Of course, if it stood for him to obtain personal gain, he would torture the guy right along Kiris, and with gusto.

[Brom]

The snarl and the venom in Kiris' expression is replaced with cold, matter-of-fact dislike. "I don't know if you didn't catch that, but he's an enemy combatant who is withholding intelligence that could prevent harm from coming to ourselves or others. Furthermore, he has not accepted prisoner of war status, refuting this by attempting to strike us even while clearly risking his life and being resistant. Where I'm from, a commander would allow torture, enspelling, whatever was needed in order to protect the platoon or squad he was leading. If torture is what gets him blabbing, then it's worth while."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer is clearly torn. She turns to Slate.

"We seem divided on this issue, Slate Slabrock. You would seem to be the deciding vote - and, I hope, the one with the divine gift of easing the injuries we sustained in this. What do you say we should do with the kobold?"

[Gorgondantess]

Kasimir sighs, his brows furrowed. "There is no vote here. I was simply expressing my opinion, to help to lead him away from his acts; but I cannot change the nature of a man. I will not interere with what he chooses to do; but whatever happens, I wash my hands of this." With that, Kasimir, walks out of the room.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock says you oughta go ahead an' put th' thing out o' its misery. Torture'll solve nothin', an' it'll eat up time."

Saying this, Slate walked over to Kasimir and aided the fellow adventure with some healing magic. "There, that oughta help you. Anybody else need somethin'?"

Casting Lesser Vigor on Kasimir, providing Fast Healing 1 for 15 rounds.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

The tan young woman steps delicately away from the prone kobold and over to Slate.

"As you wish - do what you will with him. But we're giving up a vital source of information.

"Slate, I'm afraid that, between the sand creature and that burst of flame, I'm a little the worse for wear myself."

Shimmer's currently at 19/30 hp.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

Slate walked over to Shimmer. "Aye, lass, Slate Slabrock has a cure for you." The dwarf then reached out his hand and touched her on the shoulder, transferring some healing power into her.

Casting Lesser Vigor on Shimmer, once again granting Fast Healing 1 for 15 rounds.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Sighing as the dwarf's healing energies wash over her, Shimmer nods gratefully.

She turns back to Rhapsody and Slate, and shrugs.

"Do what you want, but don't leave him alive. He knows too much about us."

She steps out to make sure Kasimir doesn't get himself into trouble.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"I don't want to deal with it. Catching him was pretty useless. We should have just killed him. Oh well next time."

Rhapsody follows Shimmer.

[Brom]

Kiris's lip curled into a snarl. His emotions were on his sleeve.

"If no one is interested in making him scream a bit in order to find out where other fortifications, defenses, possible traps, and objectives and obstacles of interest are, I might as well end it."

Quickly, he brings his halberd around, slicing at the small creature's neck for a swift decapitation.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer sighed at the wasted opportunity, but tried to rally the group again.

"All right, well, let's not give the little buglers any more time to set up defensive positions than we have to. Unless anyone objects, I'd suggest that we continue along the passage upstairs, as soon as possible."

I'm no longer 100% clear on where we are on the map (https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgqqnbkm_4cz4cn7c7), but I think we just opened the door north of room 9. In which case, I'm suggesting that we continue west along that passage. Same pattern as before - Kiris and Shimmer leading, with her actively searching for nastiness as they go.

Search: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Listen: [roll2]

[Lochar]

The hallway continues down to room 7, which you have already explored.

The only portion of the first floor left unmapped it a rubble covered door in room 3, that you all haven't had a chance to clear out and see where it led yet.

[Toliudar]

Thanks, Lochar! I'm changing her text in the above post to reflect this.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"That is fine with me."

Rhapsody is cleaning her sword as she walks.

[Brom]

Kiris similarly cleans his weaponry and takes the point position for the party, ready for violence as usual.

[Rathgar]

Slate Slabrock

"Slate Slabrock agrees that you an' Slate Slabrock ought t' go upstairs. You an' Slate Slabrock've already gone t' all th' places that need to been seen before continuin'."

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

As the group reaches the stairs, Shimmer becomes extra cautious again, holding her light-giving sling bullet high as she strains to see what waited above.

[Lochar]

The light shines up the pillar stairway, and you can see a ceiling some forty or so feet up. There doesn't appear to be anything up there, kobold-wise.

Who will go up first?

[Toliudar]

I'd suggest that Kiris and Shimmer head on up first.

And just in case you need additional checks:
Listen [roll0]
Spot [roll1]
Search [roll2]

[Lochar]

Heading up, the pillar stairway touches the edges of the next floor. Here, there isn't as much sand, although you can feel a fair breeze coming from two open doorwards, one north and the other east.

The room seems devoid of any life, and the light from Shimmer's stone fills all but the very corners of the room with good light.

Yes, I'm horrible with updates on this. I'm still going to try to push through, if anyone cares to keep going.

[Siren]

Rhapsody

"Do you see anything up there, Shimmer?"

Rhapsody taking up the rear hasn't made it to the top.

[Toliudar]

Shimmer

Shimmer waves back an "all clear" to bring the others up, and takes a moment to examine the floor for footprints in the scant sand (and for other strangenesses). As she nears each of the doorways, she takes a look down and a listen down the passage beyond.

Search [roll0]
Listen [roll1]