[IC] Age of Worms

[jmbrown]

"You infiltrated my stables and vandalized my client’s horses. I demand restitution, Balabar Smenk!”

Fireseek 1 (Starday), 595CY. The new year festivals end and the first work day of the year begins with dreary fog that slowly dissipates at dusk to reveal a common occurrence at Diamond Lake. Every week or so someone gets their pantaloons in a twist and the only recourse is a duel to the death in the town’s main square. Naturally, these events draw hundreds of onlookers but this is no ordinary duel. Gelch Tilgast, the oldest mine manager, has challenged the Balabar Smenk, a corpulent paragon of corruption who rose to prominence in a decade’s time through tenacity, cutthroat practices, and less-than-legal-though-you-can’t-prove-it means. Everyone knows Balabar is guilty but everyone also values their necks enough not to say a word.

”Tilgast, you’re a senile old fool. Do us all a favor and drop dead.” Balabar drinks deeply from a goblet, the crimson liquid dribbling down his pock marked chins. ”You will be the fool this day, Smenk. Choose your champion!” Balabar says ”Kullen” without hesitation. A big, mean looking half-orc steps up to Smenk’s side. He’s bald, unarmored, wields a massive sword and sports an odd tattoo on his forehead. Strangest of all, Kullen is albino; sheet white skin with pinkish splotches around his eyes, lips, and cheeks. He somewhat resembles a glass doll… a near seven foot tall glass doll with arms as thick as a miner’s torso.

No one is surprised; Kullen is a favorite in Diamond Lake but no one expected Tilgast’s champion when he named ”Ronghast the Mighty, three-time champion of Greyhawk’s gladiator pits.” The human was barely six feet tall, thin but agile, with olive skin and black hair. Dual hand axes rest at his side and his chain shirt is embossed with a medal symbolizing his championship.

”Now this should be interesting!” The crowd went silent as the shrill voice of Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff pierced the square. Neff is a thin, weasel-like man who preyed on the money and emotions of the common man. His perpetual smugness and endless thistle which he always chewed on could anger the best men on sight. As always he's flanked by Sheriff Cubbin, a barrel-chested man with a stubby neck who kept the “peace” with a blow across the head from his sap. ”Gentlemen,” the Governor-Mayor continued ”The street sweepers have worked extra hard cleaning up after Needfest. Please justify their wages by painting this square red with blood.”

The crowd cheers thirsty for blood. The distinct sound of collapsable tables is heard as dozens of bookkeepers set up their lock boxes and begin taking bets. Ronghast and Kullen stare each other down as their hands inch closer to their weapons. Someone is going to die tonight.


Does anyone wish to place bets? Betting on these duels is more involved than just picking the winner. People bet on any variety of outcomes from who draws first blood to how many swings it takes to fell the loser. To keep things simple, say whether you’re betting or not and roll Profession: Gambling. If you beat DC 10, you come out ahead and earn 2 nobles multiplied by your roll minus 10. If you roll 10, you break even. If you roll less than 10, you lose money equal to 2 nobles multiplied by the difference between 10.

Also, choose who you think will win the fight. If your champion wins, your final winnings are doubled. If your champion loses, you lose half your winnings (or double your loses if you rolled less than 10!).

[lostsole31]

Owbar is not much of a gambler, and he has the wisdom to know that.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Walking in and out of the crowd, unseen by those in the square, walks a handsome halfing with golden blond hair and bright green eyes. He jingles a pouch of coins merrily as he weaves his way through the bustling throng, less concerned with witnessing the action (almost impossible at his height) and more concerned with taking and placing bets.
"Hey up! Hey up! Take your bets here, take your bets here! Turn one noble into two! Turn two orbs into five! Feeling lucky, cough up a lucky! Hey up! Hey up! Place your bets here!"
Winslow Fletcher doesn't need a pen and parchment to keep track of everything; his mind is sharp as a tack. Primarily interested in earning himself a fat slice, he nonetheless puts his own money on Smenk's champion emerging victorious. As much as he hated Balabar Smenk, the halfling knew that men like Smenk had a tendency of pulling out ahead of these situations; Smenk obviously had over the past several years: why should his 'luck' run out now?

(Profession [gambler]: [roll0] )

[UserClone]

It would be quite uncouth to bet on something like bloodsport, so Cherrystone decides to be a lady about it and just watch.

[Chrono22]

Adam sighs. He isn't much of a fan of blood sport, and if he even if he did have coin to place bets, his conscience wouldn't stand for it. He pushes himself to the front of the crowd to afford himself a good view.

He doesn't know much about either combatant, and doesn't really care about the consequences of who wins or loses, but he hopes a good man doesn't die here.

[UserClone]

Spotting him easily in the crowd, Cherrystone waves Adam over with a winged arm.
"What're you doing out here? Freaks belong at the Emporium," she jokes.

[Chrono22]

"Greetings, Cherrystone. I'm here to pray for the combatants, so that this fight will not end in death. And you?"

[lostsole31]

Owbar uses this occasion to make a killing at picking pockets.I don't know how you run it, but usually a thief can make money as a cutpurse in my games using the same rules as a bard's performance for large gatherings of people (with a multiplier for events like this ... thieves love a festival). In my games, this represents "safe" thievery that is small and varied and not likely to get the thief in trouble ... he can opt for more, but now there is a legal risk. Let me know how you run it.

[UserClone]

"Didn't have any clients, and my calendar is quite open coming up; thought I'd come out and drum up some business. Large groups tend to have a better chance of having someone amongst them with an appreciation for my kind of talents."

She postures suggestively.

[jmbrown]

All bets are placed and the crowd begins furiously chanting signaling the fight. The two warriors stare each other down and Kullen appears to get the edge as Ronghast immediately springs into action but stops a foot short while drawing his axes. Kullen chuckles, draws his greataxe (I said greatsword earlier but it's actually an axe), and bellows ferociously causing Ronghast (and several commoners in the front row) to quiver.

Ronghast gets in a good chop with an axe and the crowd cheers for first blood. Kullen wipes the blood off his chest, licks it, and swings but Ronghast just manages to duck under the wild chop. Ronghast swings twice, drawing blood once more. Kullen does a mighty overhead chop that cuts deeply into Ronghast's shoulder. The blow would have felled any man but Ronghast tumbles back and tosses an axe, striking Kullen in the leg.

The half-orc bites his lip, drawing blood, and his head glows pink from the rush of blood as he flies into a furious rage. The half-orc leaps into the air, a standing jump that clears 15 feet! He brings the great axe down mid-flight with his full might. Ronghast's head splits open like a cantaloupe and the body crumples. Gelch Tilgast backs away as the mad half-orc roars a battle cry that overbears the cheering hundreds.

Neff looks pleased as several commoners rush to carry the body off. Smenk lifts up his robes to dance a taunting jig, his massive belly swaying dangerously, and Tilgast hobbles off in silence. Jierian Wierus, the head priest of the Cuthbertine cult, pierces the crowd with his group of flagellants shouting "Repent, sinners! Dark times are among us! Only through pain can you cast out the evil inside you! REPENT!" A few commoners beg and plead the bookkeepers for their bids back "I have a babe to feed, sir! Just a handful of commons, please!" Someone screams as a man topples over -- a dagger stuck in his side. Sheriff Cubbin and his deputies draw out their saps and begin delivering "justice" to the crowd, beating any poor fool in reach including women, children, and the elderly without prejudice.

All chaos breaks loose until the sweet, sonorous sounds of the Emporium echo across the square. Dancers, snake charmers, and dealers promising strong drinks and stronger herbs welcome the throng in with open arms (Sheriff Cubbin and his boys are the first to enter, beating their way past anyone who dares stand in their path). In a minute's time the crowd disperses as quickly as they formed ten minutes ago. The Greyhawk guard arrives to carry off the injured and restore some order to the square.

It's just another day in Diamond Lake. Another day in this hell.

"Repent, sinners! Whip the evil from your body!! REPENT FOR DARK TIMES ARE AMONG US!!!"

[jmbrown]

Winslow

Winslow makes a killing in bets, earning himself 3 orbs and 6 nobles. A miner's monthly pay earned in 30 seconds. It says something about Diamond Lake that a man's life is worth 36 nobles.

Adam

"Feh. Ronghast vas a varrior vithout honor. His vinnings vere all dubious... unt in my absence from zhe pits." Standing beside Adam is a tall human built like a brick wall. He brushes his golden hair with a meaty hand and thrusts out his chest to proudly display his Greyhawk Champion's belt. This man is Auric, five-time winner and current champion of Greyhawk's gladiator pits. He and two other adventurers; a wizard in red robes whom Adam's seen a few times and a flirtatious elf that frequents the seedier taverns; have made a name for themselves in Diamond Lake in short order. They arrived a week ago, openly planning a raid on Stirgenest Cairn claiming they had intelligence on hidden rooms filled with treasure.

It's all nonsense, however. Everyone in Diamond Lake knows the cairns were cleaned out decades ago before the great war. The adventurers are the laughing stock of all right minded people but their presence has incited a few daring folk to brave the hills once more. All have come back empty handed and a handful have returned no-handed.

"Zhis verdammt town makes me veary, Metal Man. No vone has unt ounce of integrity or honor. I pray ve hit it big in Stirgenest so ve can leave zhis dump." Auric doesn't wait for a response. He pats Adam's shoulder and heads into the Emporium.

Owbar

OOC: Yes, a sleight of hand as a "performance" check makes sense in an event like this. I went ahead and rolled for you but you can make your own rolls in a big crowd in the future.

Owbar was looking to make a killing and boy-howdy did he! In total he pockets 30 commons and 20 nobles. During his purse cutting, he also manages to pilfer a piece of rolled parchment strapped to someone's belt pouch. Winslow manages to dart away from the crowd before they go crazy and trample him.

The parchment turns out to be a "star chart," something Owbar had only heard of from the Twilight monks in passing. It illustrates hundreds of stars but as Owbar has no knowledge of such things it's completely worthless to him. He knows some of the Twilight monks frequent the Emporium selling their narcotic herbs but they're stingy and not likely to pay full price for an item when they know their client has no idea of its true value. Allustan, self proclaimed "smartest man in Diamond Lake" may buy such an item but he lives with the Greyhawk guard and if the chart was worth anything to its previous owner they would have reported it missing.

The only other known astrologer in Diamond Lake is one Winslow Fletcher, a halfling whose reputation consists of being a "musical genius" which in Diamond Lake earns the wage of an underage stableboy. If anyone could appraise a star chart, it's him.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow ducked under a wayward cudgel and into an alleyway, where a man was busy tearing off the clothes of a bored-looking prostitute. He counted his earnings quickly. While it meant food in his belly and a roof over his head, Winslow couldn't help but feel a little dirty. He knew Smenk would emerge victorious, and he hated being right. He tried to convince himself that the dead man had chosen his fate, that he knew full well what he was getting into, but it was a hollow comfort. The only thing that made him feel guiltier was the eagerness the crowd had displayed at participating in the spur-of-the-moment gambling racket.

The halfling began to walk slowly towards the Emporium, without any particular goal in mind. He whistled a nameless tune, wondering if he would ever be able to really escape this place...

[jmbrown]

"Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!" A woman chases after Winslow in one of the back alleys. She's young, barely 18, with bronze skin and curly black hair betraying her Flan ancestry. She's five-five, wears a blue tunic with swirling patterns and cloth britches held by a sturdy leather belt. Spiraling tattoos rise from the left side of her neck and a blue spiral marks her brow between her eyes. She wears a holy symbol to some deity Winslow doesn't recognize.

"Are you Winslow fletcher? You are, aren't you? Oh, excuse me, where are my manners! My name is Ash Merivel, an initiate from the Twilight Monastery. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to appraise something for me. I can pay..." She produces a shiny platinum plate while smiling wistfully. She reaches to her belt pouch and a look of horror crosses her face.

"Oh, no! Where is it!! Aiiiy, my chart is gone! Oh, Mr. Fletcher this is terrible and the stars predicted this would happen..." She trails off, drilling her toe into the earth and blushing. "It wasn't really a chart... kind of, sort of, but not really. It was encoded, Mr. Fletcher or at least the stars told me it was."

She hands Winslow a plate. "Do you mind if you escort me through the Emporium? It looks like the best place to ask around for my lost property. That, and the stars predicted it."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow's eyes turn round as saucers as the stranger hands him a platinum coin. He gazes upward at the beautiful woman, down again at the coin, up, down, then finally settling on the lady, a wide grin on his handsome face.
"Er... yes, I'm Winslow! You've come to the right man! Or half-a-man, as it were. Ash, was it? I'd be happy to accompany you to the Emporium, and help sort this out... though would it not make more sense to pay me after I've rendered some sort of service? Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but... um, are you new to Diamond Lake?"
He offers her an elbow, but given his height, realizes this would be an awkward gesture to execute effectively.
"A star chart, you say? Yes, I suppose you could do worse than to come to me for such things... I'm primarily interested in the heavens above for... inspirational reasons, I suppose. But it sounds like there's little difference between your interests and mine... or rather, if there is, I'm quite keen on demolishing them in your favor."
It wasn't every night a lovely young lady came requesting help, by name, and offering absurd amounts of money. Part of Winslow suspected this was how a lot of horror stories began, but another part of Winslow believed it was about damn time Fate dropped something like this in his lap. He beamed up at Ash, the horrors of the duel already fading from his mind.

[UserClone]

Once the commotion begins, Cherrystone flies up and away from the danger, and lands on top of the Emporium. She crawls into the window into her room, thinking to herself, When will these people learn?

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone
"People never learn, child." Shag Solomon, a quaggoth (think of a yeti only more human-like) folds freshly laundered clothes on Cherrystone's bed. He was one of the Emporium's star attractions, the "the gentleman quaggoth" who wore gaudy courtier's robes and played dragonchess with patrons. "This town is no good for you. Like the birds the humans cage and bring into the mines, soon you too will suffocate on the intoxicating fumes of Diamond Lake."

Adam
Eventually Zalamandra has Adam standing watch over the Veiled Corridor, a private hall where a dozen companions of all different races and builds wait for their paying clients. Zalamandra tolerates no blackmail and her orders are simple: "Ensure only client goes beyond the door at a time and lock the room behind him." The first clients are the Governor-Mayor, the Sheriff, and Smenk -- all were at the back of the line but easily forced their way into the front without a single word of protest from the crowd.

Adam notices Winslow entering with a young woman (who's dramatically coughing at the cloud of smoke from the many lit water pipes). Adam notices a golden spindle attached to a leather thong around her neck and immediately recognizes it as the holy symbol of Istus.


Istus is the greater goddess of fate and destiny. She distances herself from the bickering of other deities but isn't as completely uncaring as Boccob. She teaches that all living creatures weave threads of fate which are intertwined. Great heroes and dastardly villains tug on their threads which can adversely affect another's. People devoted to her learn to read these invisible strings to accurately predict how one cause can create another effect.

Winslow
Ash certainly is dramatic. She stumbles over pillows, gets tangled in hanging beads, and nearly chokes to death in the smoke filled room. Her coin purse seems endless as she quickly tosses nobles and orbs to every purveyor of drink, sweets, and herbs. She "ooh's" at Shag Solomon, "awe's" at Auric flexing his muscles to the dancers, "Wow's" at Ariello Klint the flame dancing halfling magician, a "Neato" is thrown at Tom Shingle the boggle contortionist (a boggle being a mishapen bluish humanoid), and "Ugh's" at the Sardonic Rat Game, a game of chance where rats race each other through a maze -- the winner is injected with a rage serum and must fight against four jermaline (mischevious little fey).

Golgon Hant, a Twilight Monastery monk, passes through on his way out and Ash immediately ducks behind a pillar. "Is he gone? Whew. I'll be honest, Mr. Fletcher, the stars told me I would meet you." She produces a sheet of paper from a scroll case depicting a water color painting of The Lyrist, a minor constellation. "Ooh, and that metal man in the corner!" She produces another water color painting of The Eternal Guardian, another minor constellation.

"It's all coming true the stars never lie. I need to find The Whispering Thief and The Caged Sparrow. The stars say it is so... at least I think they do."

[UserClone]

"Aww, but then who would let you win at Dragonchess every evening? You're not the star attraction you once were, after all," she says in good humor, and gives the furry beast a hug around the neck.

Cherrystone sighs, and then says, "I suppose it's time to go earn my keep."

She then head downstairs to ply her trade. Perhaps that nice Gnome will play with me again. What was his name? Obdar?

[Chrono22]

Adam wishes the blond warrior luck in his mission, and would converse with him more, but duty calls him to action. Adam kneels, and begins reciting,
"Eternal rest grant unto him, Pelor, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the good departed, through the mercy of Pelor, rest in peace."
Adam departs the place as the chaos ensues. His expressionless visor obscures the sadness he feels.

...

Adam stands watch resolutely, but when he notices the young worshiper of Istus enter with Winslow, he speaks up.

"Hello, Winslow. It's always a pleasure to see you here. And who is your lady friend? You seem to have so many, if we've already been introduced, please forgive me."

was working over night, but I should be able to post more often over friday and the weekend!

[jmbrown]

"Kiyaaah! It speaks!" The girl mumbles into her hands "Of course it speaks, the stars said it was so."

"No, we haven't met... or we have met but our inability to perceive more than one timeline inhibits us. I'm Ash Merivel, Twilight monk. Kind Mr. Fletcher is escorting me until I find my stolen chart... well, it's not really stolen because I already knew it was going to be lost...

Adam

There are several things wrong about this girl and it's not her off-beat attitude. You can't quite put your finger on it but your knowledge of religion and the town's history are pulling facts and figures from the recesses of your mind that you can't quite sort out yet.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone meanders through the crowd in the Emporium with a wiggle in her walk, her fineries and her feathers swaying and rustling with the motion of each step.

[Chrono22]

"The stars? I see we both share an interest in celestial bodies, but my focus is taken up with one of a much larger size. I worship Pelor, god of the sun. His teachings don't foretell the future or fate- but by the illumination of his teachings his disciples may know what must be done."

Adam bows, and allows the pair to pass into the emporium.
"Please enjoy yourselves, Master Fletcher and Miss Merivel."

Adam watches the two be seated and ponders over the girl and her... oddity.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow knew about the strange, pious, animated suit of armor that frequented the Emporium. He smiled up at it, not sure where to direct his eyes.
"Thank you my good man... er, yes."
He was about to invite him to join them for perhaps some refreshments, but stopped himself before doing so. He also felt somewhat silly for calling Adam a 'man.' He tried to walk away from the encounter as gracefully as he could manage, a grin forcefully plastered on his face.

[jmbrown]

Adam and Cherrystone
Zalamandra eventually pulls both aside. "The odd guest that flamboyant halfling is with has spent a miner's yearly salary! People are starting to notice and I want nothing to befall her while she's under my roof. Cherrystone, see how deep her pockets really are. Adam, stay within ten paces of her and make certain none of these drunk idiots try anything stupid against my very honored guest."

Owbar
The gnome slips into the Emporium to spend his ill-gotten gains. He loses a few commons to a roullette wheel when he notices Winslow and a young human woman plop on one of the over stuffed pillows in the lounge. He drops a few commons for a stiff drink and slips over.

Winslow
A gnomish man, rather tall for his race, approaches your seat. You recognize him as Owbar, a former architect, foreman, and mining genius. It's common knowledge that he introduced several revolutionary devices into the world of mining but was disenfranchised a few years ago. Something about his race but it makes little sense; he looks like an ordinary gnome and there are a handful of gnomes in town so it's not like they're hated.

"Good eve', Fletcher. Would you kindly appraise this for me? There's a noble in it for you."

Owbar produces a piece of parchment. It's a print of several hundred stars, some of them forming obvious constellations. Ash slams a fist on the small table before her causing Owbar to leap into the air. "Ahah, Thief! Well, not literally a thief because I knew it would be taken" Owbar begins scanning the room for obvious exits but Ash puts a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, sir gnome. My name is Ash Merivel, Twilight monk. The stars told me we'd meet." She produces a water color painting of a small, bare-footed man with a cloak. "You're The Whispering Thief... that's what the stars tell me. I watch the heavens to predict the future and this night has been most accurate so far!"

Owbar is completely flabbergasted. He takes a seat more out of curiosity for the stranger than knowledge of his new treasure. She buys him a good drink and he sips on it in silence.

Winslow, the star chart looks completely false and by that I mean it doesn't depict the stars as they should be in the heavens. It seems manufactured as if someone who didn't know a lick about celestial bodies just haphazardly scribbled on a sheet of paper. Still, it's a curious item and deserves further investigation.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow smiles in an apologetic way to Owbar; he too was still getting used to Ash's peculiar behavior.
"Yes, yes, the stars. No harm comes of it, then, eh? You've brought us the chart, and all is right with the world."
The halfling scrutinizes the sheet of parchment, frowning.
"Well... hmm... My first impression is that this particular star chart is... false. These stars are not placed as they should be in the heavens above... it's as if someone's been moving them around, as if they didn't know what they were doing... or else, wished to alter the position or alignment of certain constellations. Hm. Odd. Still, that's just my initial reaction. It could be something worth looking into in further detail..."
Winslow looks to Ash curiously, as if expecting her to provide him with a clue or scrap more of information.
"Where... did you acquire this, Ash m'dear?"

[UserClone]

Cherrystone sidles up to the table and lays a hand on Ashe's shoulder, saying in a husky voice, "Evening, miss. You seem like a girl with expensive tastes who can afford the finer things in life." She drapes a corner of her sheer shawl over the young woman's face, the tip if her wingfeather just grazing Ashe's cheek. "How would you like to come someplace more comfortable and we can play a little game together?" she inquires, her voice and manner sensual, and yet disarmingly playful.

All of a sudden, she seems to notice Owbar and almost imperceptibly blushes a little.
"Seems we share more than one acquaintace, my fair gnome," she says with a smile, gesturing to the girl and to Winslow.

[jmbrown]

"We do share an acquaintance, miss. My name is Ash Merivel, Twilight monk. I'm here because... well, the stars told me I'd come." She says that last bit while chewing on her fingers. "I know who you are... well, not really, but the stars tell me you have significance. Mr. Fletcher, Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll answer questions when my plate is paid for." There's a fierce intensity in her eyes as she produces more water color sketches of the Cairn Hills, the cairn burial grounds that dot them, and several maps.

Maps... map! Winslow looks at the chart again and it suddenly "clicks" (knowledge check result of 21, not bad). He scrambles for his quill and ink as he points around with his finger. Alpha Prime is connected to Beta Wolf and Centauri Upsilon forms The Blushing Nixie with the minor constellation Leaping Tiger...

For ten minutes Winslow connects-the-dots on the star chart forming a clear and distinct shape. Several stars form a large set of runes etched along the outside of the "map" that appears to label the area. Finally, Winslow grabs colored pieces of chalk, noticing that seven of the stars should be colored. These colored stars form lines that all point to a single, specific star that forms the minor constellation The Hedge Wizard, Keeper of Secrets.

Winslow puts down his pen and chalk to bask at his findings.

http://i35.tinypic.com/14wzxwi.png

The numbers represent minor constellations.

1. The Coward
2. The Honorable Wanderer
3. The Valorous Knight
4. The Vessel
5. The Architect
6. The Laborer
7. The Star's Passage
8. The Fool

Adam
You watch Winslow work with some interest but really take notice of the runes he draws. They're swirling letters and figures as if the wind itself picked up a pen. You don't speak the language, but something deep within triggers an understanding. You know what they say...

"The Whispering Cairn"

[Chrono22]

As Winslow's sketch becomes more detailed, Adam forgets his guard duties, and his attention becomes absorbed in the work. Like a blind man fumbling for something in the darkness, his mind tries to cling onto a fragment of a memory.

"The Whispering Cairn..."

With a tense, almost alarmed voice, Adam quietly asks,
"Where did you get these?"

[jmbrown]

Winslow

Hearing Adam utter "Whispering Cairn" triggers some bardic knowledge. Sure enough, it's a cairn situated next to an abandoned mine about an hour outside of town. Because of its location, it isn't oft explored. It's a jealously guarded secret by Diamond Lake children as they dare each other to spend a night within the cairn. These dares petered off a few years ago when a local girl disappeared.

The cairn exists but literally nothing of value has come out of the hills in decades. The most people return with are worthless etchings and baubles that might fetch them a handful of orbs. Even the bandits and monstrous humanoids moved on to richer, more prosperous terrain to the east.

"I told you, metal man. I'm a Twilight monk. We spend every dusk gazing into the stars and predicting the world's events."

Adam

Great, a successful knowledge religion check for you.

It's true, the Twilight Monastery monks worship the stars and use a powerful artifact to scry into the night. Problem with her story is A) she's not dressed as a monk initiate, B) she doesn't appear to (at least not outwardly) worship Xan Yae, and C) the Twilight monks are insular and never share their findings. Twenty years ago, several miners tried to convince Izenfen, the masked headmistress, to reveal the location of rich mine veins. She refused and they raided the monastery leaving seven miners dead and only one monk -- Izenfen's daughter. The masked lady summoned silent assassins who murdered the eight surviving miners in their sleep. Since then, Diamond Lake says nothing to the monks, quietly pays for their kalamanthis roots, and leaves them be. The monks likewise worship a holy day to remind themselves to remain secluded from the world at large.

No true Twilight monk would ever bring a star chart from their monastery. It's outright heresy.

[Chrono22]

'Oh gods.'

Adam moves to a standing position by Ash, draws his shield, and places a blue gauntlet upon his sword hilt. He begins looking at the room around him for suspicious persons.

"Nonsense. Please tell us the truth, Miss... Merivel. You are in great danger, because of that document."

[jmbrown]

"The truth is what you see before you. The stars show our path unless Mr. Fletcher is playing a gross joke on us all. You know where this cairn is and I want to go there."

Owbar is intrigued but remains apprehensive. "The hills have been empty for years but this map does seem legit. This could be a wild cockatrice chase but I only have two orbs to rub together. I don't know, I could use a vacation from this cesspit."

[CockroachTeaParty]

The beginnings of genuine excitement begin to stir within Winslow's heart. Was Destiny perhaps making itself known? Was Lady Luck shining a beacon of adventure down upon him?
"My dear Miss Merivel, I assure you, to the best of my knowledge, this is what these coordinates and glyphs seem to be pointing to. It all seems very intriguing. If you need my astrological expertise on an expedition, I'm your halfling!"

[UserClone]

"Hm, why don't I go and get us all drinks while we're discussing this. Ash, would you mind buying the first round?"

[Chrono22]

"Proof of your claims is yet to be seen, but I am not without honor- it would be a gross failure on my part, as a gentleman, if I allowed two ladies to enter a dangerous crypt without protection. You have my services, until this matter is resolved."

[jmbrown]

"There'll be plenty of time, and coin, to buy every drink in the house when we investigate this cairn miss... uh, you know only Mr. Fletcher had the proper manners to introduce himself. I already know who you people are... or at least the name the stars give you."

OOC: Let's take this moment to have the traditional round-table description of characters.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow smiles and waves his hand.
"Please, allow me to buy us all a round. I've recently had the good fortune of stumbling across a windfall of sorts, so please, do request a refreshment, I'll be happy to treat. My name's Winslow Fletcher, by the by, in case you haven't caught it yet. I believe I've seen most of you around town a time or two.
I'm not just an astrologer. If you'll forgive a brief abandoning of humility, I can honestly say there's very little I'm not good at. I've a bit of magic, a bit of skill, a dash of this, a pinch of that... Consider me a general auxiliator; a potent combination of usefulness in a conveniently small package."
He gives a wink to the table, before flagging down a server once everyone lets him know what they want.

It's hard to deny that Winslow has a distinct charm. His golden hair, emerald-green eyes, and easy smile give him the appearance of a true halfling poster boy, as if Yondalla herself had molded him to display the delights of her chosen people. His clothing is simple, but clean and tasteful. He wears supple leather slacks, buckled shoes, and a vest of patterned material in brown and green. Under his clothing can be seen a functional shirt of chainmail (not an unusual sight in a place like diamond lake). A halfling-sized short sword can be seen sheathed on his belt (little more than a dagger in human hands), but he otherwise appears unarmed.

[Chrono22]

"The locals of Diamond Lake call me Adam. I have been employed as a guard here at the emporium for some ten years. If I may be so bold, I will say I am very skilled at it. I have some skill at healing injuries and diseases as well, and my knowledge of religion and the histories are substantial."
Adam appears to be a blue and gold suit of armor. His "eyes" are a pair glowing, golden orbs. A curious red strand of hair hangs out from the back of his head. It isn't obvious whether it's actual hair or an armor decoration. He's armed modestly, with a simple longsword at his waste and a heavy wooden shield readied on his arm.
http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/4100/adame.jpg
OOC: Yes that's nightmare. My photoshop skills aren't great, but I think this is pretty close to what Adam looks like.

[jmbrown]

"We'll have to cut this short. Mr. Fletcher, that plate I gave you came from a cairn. I found it in a false wall hidden in a bag." She dumps a coin purse on the table revealing a dozen plates and luckies. None of them bare the mark of the Greyhawk treasury indicating their great age. Ash scoops the coins back into her pouch as Owbar wipes the drool from his mouth.

"This money predates Greyhawk. If this map is correct, who knows what kind of treasure we'll find in this 'Whispering Cairn.' I'm retiring to my room for the night but anyone who wishes to join me on my expedition is free to do so. Meet me at the town square tomorrow morning when the sun peaks the hills. Good night." Ash, calmly stands and scoops up her map. She turns her nose up in the air and whips her traveling cloak as she passes by. A rogue knee high table cuts off her path as she tumbles over to a litany of curses from the neighboring patrons. Whispering apologies, she stumbles out the Emporium.

[lostsole31]

Owbar, excited as ever to get out of this energy draining town, jumps at the chance. "Lady Twilight, know ever that my, umm, burgling skills are at the service of this fine quest! I shall wear my moniker as a badge of honor!"

With that, Owbar drains his mug quickly, takes a room at the Emporium - living the high life, but who knows if he'll survive - and takes a well-drawn bath, buys a new set of 'traveler's clothing (if he has the coin, else he has these cleaned ... fml, or is it fhl?). The next morning he will eat an early breakfast (miner's rise early) and be at the town square. Of course, this being evening and then being early morning ... and probably run out of money again ... he will have no provisions and only the most basic equipment.

[OOC: How much money do I have left after fun times and the above, but considering today's haul?]

[jmbrown]

Owbar doesn't have the coin for a new explorer's outfit but he gets it freshly laundered (in water not coming from the polluted lake) and purchases a double cotton lined cloak with matching scarf for the predicted chilly weather (your choice of color). After room and board his remaining earnings is a single noble which buys a poor but hearty breakfast of thick gruel, hard biscuits, and something green and leafy that appears to be a wilted slice of lettuce for garnish.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone will have her usual evening meal of whole dried grains and seeds bound with pork fat (mmmm, suet!) and a bottle of fine wine. She'll retire to her room to dine and contemplate alone, but takes time to explain the current situation to Shag. "What do you think I should do? I mean, it is tempting..." After which she grooms and preens her feathers before roosting for the night.

[jmbrown]

Shag Solomon doesn't hesitate with his answer. "To risk life and limb for the hope of acquiring massive wealth and glory or living an unstimulating life in near poverty within a run down, diseased town... choices..."

[UserClone]

Cherrystone replies with a chuckle, "Oh, Shag. You always did have a way with words. But what about you? Won't you come and protect me? I'll give you half my share of the treasures we find." She smiles hopefully.

[jmbrown]

"No. My contract goes back a decade. I'm a piece of property in every meaning of the word. You and that living armor Adam are tenants who work for room and board. You were never bound to this place by contract but out of necessity for no human in this backwater town wants to associate with "freaks" except under the influence of strong drink and stronger herbs."

[UserClone]

Trembling a bit, she gives the quaggoth a big hug, holding him tightly, albeit fairly briefly. When she releases him, she says, tears threatening to fall from her eyes and a bit of a quiver in her voice, "I'm buying the rest of that contract out. When I get back from the cairn, I'm going to be richer than Ash, richer even than that bitch who's got you under contract. I'll buy her out, you'll see."

With that, she flops onto her bed, exhausted. I'll just preen in the morning.

[jmbrown]

"Don't you dare speak about Zalamandra in that tone. She put a roof over your head and gave you a safe, well paying job when no human would had they known about your powers. I appreciate the friendly gesture but don't go out of your way for me. I don't think I can adapt anywhere else but this rotten little hole."

Fireseek 2, Sunday

After breakfast and a good wash (Adam buffs his plates), everyone meets in the town square as agreed upon. It's a cloudy, cold day with a chilly breeze making the scarves and cloaks that come with explorer's clothing little comfort. Ash is doing squats in town square and if it weren't for the face tattoos she would be totally unrecognizable.

Gone are her blue robes, replaced with well worn explorer's clothing (boots, flared pants, tunic, gray scarf, matching cloak, and a wide brimmed hat). Over her tunic is a leather armored vest and she wears large, heavy metal bracers that look like they could deflect a sword blow. Curiously, she wields a huge two handed sword with a curved blade. Without her baggy robes on her figure is surprisingly sturdy with well defined muscles.

"Mr. Fletcher, lead the way."

The cairn is outside town, an hour's journey into the hills. The party passes by the abandoned mine, lost decades ago when it ran dry and the previous owner died. Along the way the group comes across the old manor where the former manager lived. It's a large wood building set on flat ground with overgrown grass and rubble. The first floor is sturdy but bare with broken windows and slightly rotten wood. The second floor has completely collapsed.

"This place would make a good stronghold with some elbow grease."

After a short rest inside the manor, Winslow continues on for another 10 minutes approaching an overgrown area before a rocky wall. Winslow knows the cairn is here and beckons everyone help him clear the underbrush. 10 minutes of hacking (and Ash complaining about a green worm that tried to crawl up her leg), the entranceway before the cairn is clear. Like all cairns, it's an elaborate threshold made from stone. The runes over the threshold match those on the map.

The Whispering Cairn.

"Unless anyone has a better suggestion, Adam should take point, then Cherrystone. I'll bring up the rear with the wee folk." Ash lights up a torch and holds her heavy blade in her left hand.

Natural light dimly illuminates a long hallway extending north into darkness. A faint breeze brings with it sibilant whispers that sound almost like sighing breath. It must be a trick of the wind, but the effect is almost lifelike.

The walls bear horizontal bands of deceptively simple geometric patterns at waist level. In places the bands reveal startling detail, but in others the walls look as through they have been hacked apart with weapons or eroded by the rigors of time. Flakes of ancient paint, brilliant purple and a dull mustard hue, still cling to the walls in places, hinting at what must once have been a riot of color. A thin coat of dust coats the floor.

Just inside the darkened tomb, the hallway branches into shallow alcoves to the east and west. Here the walls bear the most significant damage. Dozens of clumsy etchings mar the beautiful ancient masonry like graffiti on a city wall. A clump of soiled cloth about the size of a halfling rests in the rounded terminus of the western alcove.

Outside, the wind picks up, and a chorus of almost human sounds rises from the darkened hall. A tattered bedroll can be seen in an alcove with wooden whittling shavings along the ground. A flickering light can be seen further down the otherwise dark hall. Ash's torch reveals the hall is 20' wide with a 20' tall ceiling.

"Oooh, spooky." Ash remarks.

[Chrono22]

"Very well."

Adam takes his appointed place at the front, and draws his shield and sword. He's on the lookout for danger.

'So that's why she was so clumsy last night. She wasn't accustomed to the restrictions the gown imposed upon her gait. But then why did she claim to be a twilight monk? Don't monks avoid wearing armor? I know I've never heard of a monk wielding a sword of that size before either.'

Adam mulls these thoughts over, but remains silent. This is not the time or place for conversation. Danger could be lurking behind any corner. Best to stay alert.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow glances around, his curiosity certainly piqued. He walks over to the old bedroll and wood shavings, giving them a cursory search.
"It looks like this might be somebody's squatting turf. Or, perhaps they've been gone for an extended period of time."

(Search the stuff: [roll0] )

The whispering sound, seemingly what gives the cairn its name, particularly intrigues the halfling. He listens intently, trying to determine the source of the noise.
(Listen check: [roll1] )

[UserClone]

"No, I think I'll take up the rear. I'm a bit slower than a normal human while in this form."
[roll0]
Cherrystone slides back to the rear.

Someone's got to keep an eye on this woman. I smell a rat. Monks are known for not wearing armor, and I'd know. They're common back home. And who ever heard of a monk with such a large blade?

[lostsole31]

Owbar, glad to be out of the biting wind, helps Winslow with his search: [roll0].

[jmbrown]

Winslow steps aside to allow Owbar to search the area, his skills far superior to his own. Owbar instead scans the walls to determine the source of the sound. The bedroll is brittle and crumbles to the touch -- it has to be at least a year old. There are many tracks in the dust but without the proper training all Owbar can tell is that they come from some kind of animal. How old they are, what kind of animal, how many legs it may have, and all the details that come with an expert tracker aren't known.

Combined with Owbar's search, Winslow finds thin hollow tubes in the wall. Light gusts of air blow through the tube creating the whispering effect. The search continues further down the hall into the "#2" position marked on the map. The hall extends east/west (assuming further into the cairn is north) by forty feet, ending at a small marble platform raised six inches off the floor. A strange, shattered arcane apparatus rests upon the platform, its curved ovular frame giving the appearance of a noble's dressing mirror. Only a third of this frame remains. An unusual arcane glyph about the size of a man's head has been delicately carved into the baseplate of the support platform.

Five shards of unidentifiable shiny stone-like substances are scattered across the ground. There are arcane symbols running along the length of the broken mirror that Winslow translates as "Transportation." There's a glyph along the base but all Winslow can discern is that the glyph is derived from auran, the language of elemental air.

Adam

This happened before when you translated the runes on the map. Once again the "cogs" in your brain begin turning. This language is completely alien to you but the glyph seems to magically form before your eyes.

Icosiel.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"Fascinating..."
Winslow removes a scroll of parchment from a case at his belt, along with a vial of ink and an inkpen. He makes a copy of the notable glyphs, especially the ones on the strange shattered apparatus, along with a few notes of his own.
"I'd wager a guess that this was some sort of transportation device, designed to cover long distances quickly. Perhaps teleportation, perhaps even extradimensional travel... the language here seems derived from Auran... need to learn that one... I wonder... how old are these cairns? I'm beginning to doubt whether this place was built by humans..."


Can I bust out some rolls?
Knowledge (history): [roll0]
Bardic Knowledge: [roll1]
Unless you've already rolled this stuff for Winslow, in which case... cool!

[jmbrown]

The cairns are ancient burial grounds. To what or whom is unknown. They've been here when Diamond Lake was found, so more than fifty years. Winslow lacks any knowledge of architecture to tell who built the cairns. There's nothing outlandish or "alien" about them. The cielings are tall so a man-sized creature or larger.

[lostsole31]

Owbar is fascinated by the architecture, and takes a look at it.His modifier for K:A&E is +6. Do we roll these, or do you do as I, and roll "behind the screen" so we don't know how we did? Might be good to get more feedback on this, but you're Big 16 sounds more like my method for knowledge-y, sense-y, stealth-y goodness.

[jmbrown]

I don't mind if you roll knowledge checks. Thing is, most knowledge checks will only reveal basic information regardless how high you score. A nature roll of 30 on a blade of grass will reveal it's a blade of grass. If something's important and in sight then I've already rolled a check for it. Further checks will either reveal the same information or more detailed information.

Owbar investigates the craftmanship of the broken "mirror." He appraises the shards of "glass" as being worth 20gp. The mirror, frescoes, and architecture itself reveal little about the creators. The ceiling is abnormally high for a human tomb and the frescoes were drawn by a tall (but not "large" tall) creature... Adam's height, actually. The tubes' openings are somewhere around the outside perimeter with wind blowing in. Many of the holes don't work and it's likely they collapsed long ago with age.

On the other (eastern) side of the main hall is a collapsed tunnel. Huge pile of collapsed rubble blocks the alcove from top to bottom. It looks like it would take weeks to tunnel through the densely packed debris.

Slowly continuing forward, the central hallway opens into a large chamber with wings leading to the east and west. Across the chamber to the north yawns a twenty-foot-wide open arch draped from top to bottom in translucent cobwebs. An eerie green light flickers from beyond the webs, casting strange shadows about this room. The place smells of animal spoor and wet fur.

To the west, three short stairs lead to a wide marble dais, but the far end of the wing is obscured by darkness. Huge slabs of cracked masonry and irregular piles of scattered debris choke the eastern wing, giving the appearance of complete collapse. The sibilant, almost human whispers present in the passage become a chorus in this massive chamber, eerily echoing off the walls.

Adam
Once again, your mind instinctually translates the whispers. "Despair..." "Thieves..." "Interlopers..." "Death..."

The great hallway ends at an arch that's completely covered by thick cobwebs; hundreds of tiny spiders scurry around. Stairs leading down, lit by the flickering green light beyond, can be seen.

A cursory glance to the eastern wing reveals that it's not completely collapsed. A small portion, about the size of a small animal, leads deeper in. Ash gasps and drops her torch as something silently crawls out the hole... not a small human, but three wolves. Three very, very hungry looking wolves.

Round 1

Two of the salivating wolves flank a larger, obvious alpha wolf who bears a scar across its forehead. They stand 20' away at the edge of the dropped torch light.

Adam: 17
Cherrystone: 16
Ash: 12
Winslow: 9
Owbar: 8


R1I20: The alpha wolf rushes Adam, the closest opponent, and circles around him. It growls ferociously, readying itself for something.

R1I19: One of the smaller wolves charges Adam, flanking him with the alpha, and bites his leg for modified 5 points of damage. Adam's armor is incredibly tough and one of the wolf's teeth completely breaks off but so great is the beast's hunger that it shreds Adam's interior joints and drags him completely to the ground.

R1I18.9: The alpha wolf, waiting for its partner to flank, tries to bite the prone Adam but it does little more than snap ferociously.

R1I17: Adam is prone and flanked by two wolves. The third wolf is 20' away to the east.

[Chrono22]

Does the alpha that flanked me provoke from me, for moving through spaces I threaten? If so, I'll take a shot at him. If he's now behind me, doesn't this mean I'm flanking with whoever was behind me? I'm going to assume so, but if not consider this attack result to be 2 lower. If there was no attack, well, it doesn't matter anyway.
Longsword [roll0] Damage [roll1]
If critical threat: [roll2] Damage [roll3]
Adam swings wildly at the approaching alpha as it shifts around him.
...
The 5 damage he would have taken goes into his steely resolve pool. This means, he'll suffer the damage at the end of his next turn, but gains a +1 to hit and damage rolls until then.
I have to randomly determine which maneuvers adam starts the combat with, so I'll roll a d5 twice and take whichever ones appear in that descending order, rerolling if I get the same result twice.
At the start of my turn, I must randomly determine what the next maneuver is that I'll be granted from the ones that haven't yet been granted or used. I'll post what my action is for my turn based on what maneuvers I'll be granted.
Here goes:
[roll4]
[roll5]
Oh and one other thing: any opponent Adam threatens is suffering a -4 penalty on attacks against Adam's allies, thanks to the Iron Guard's Glare stance..

[Chrono22]

rerolling the d5 that gave me a [1] result a second time. I'll go ahead and post my action, though, since i know that i have crusader's strike available.
[roll0]

Adam swings his blade heroically at the snarling, scarred canine.
"My body is tough, but it is faith that allows me to endure!"

Crusader's Strike: Longsword [roll1] Damage [roll2]
If hit: Adam is healed [roll3] points of damage. This can apply to his steely resolve pool.

[Chrono22]

Critical Confirmation: [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Triple combo!:smalltongue:

[jmbrown]

Does the alpha that flanked me provoke from me, for moving through spaces I threaten?

Until your initiative, you're flat-footed and can't take an aoo.


If he's now behind me, doesn't this mean I'm flanking with whoever was behind me?

If this were a battlemap, the alpha wolf is on Adam's western flank and the other wolf is on Adam's eastern flank. Ash is 10' away to the south and isn't threatened by the wolves.

((It wasn't stated whether or not Adam stood up to make his attack so I'm assuming he doesn't.))

From the ground, Adam swings at the snarling Alpha and connects right along the beast's skull, cutting a second gash an inch above its scar.

R1I16: Cherrystone is 15' away from Adam and the other two wolves. Ash is 5' to her north and a salivating wolf is 25' to her east, snarling in her direction and contemplating which wing it should gnaw on first.

[Chrono22]

Gah, sorry. I meant to say I'd get up, but I'm very tired as I just got off of work. Crusader's strike is only a standard action, he has the move action to get up.

[jmbrown]

Adam stands up at the end of his attack. The hungry wolf cracks another tooth on Adam's plates while the alpha clamps down and shreds his shoulder for modified 2 points of damage.

Cherrystone's turn.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone pulls out a bit of phosphorous from a pouch at her belt and transforsms into a sparrow, clutching it in her tiny foot. She then takes to the air, flying up towards the ceiling, about 40 feet from the whole combat.

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone flies directly up and thumps her head on the ceiling which is only 20' high.

R1I12: Ash drops the torch as her falchion's blade bursts into flame. She moves around to flank the smaller wolf Adam is engaged with, studying the creature and flourishing. The snarling wolf is faked out by her display, leaving a critical spot open, and Ash performs a devastating overhead slice dealing 23 points of damage and 7 points of fire damage. The upper torso of the wolf is cleanly sliced in half and the smell of burnt fur overpowers the smell of wet fur.

R1I10: Seeing its companion sliced in two does little to deter the other wolf. It charges straight at Ash but she pivots, whips her cloak, and redirects the wolf to barrel past Adam who swings with his blade and cuts it for 8 points of damage. but she deflects its bite with her armored bracers.

R1I9: In a blink of the eyes the three imposing wolves are down one and the smaller wolf moves with a noticeable limp. Winslow is 15' away from both the alpha and the smaller wolf.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow is quite impressed by Ash's apparent combat prowess. Somewhat humbled, but wishing to contribute to the group's general survival, the halfling loads a lead bullet into his trusty sling, and sends it towards the snout of the larger, meaner-looking wolf.


Winslow will 5 ft. step away from any nearby wolves, load his sling as a move action, then fire at the alpha wolf, taking a -4 penalty because it's in melee (if that is not true, add 4 to the attack roll)
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[jmbrown]

Winslow's bullet skips wide and pings harmlessly off Adam's shield.

R1I8: Owbar is adjacent to Winslow and 15' from either wolf. He can flank either wolf with Ash or Adam but will move through a threatened space if he does.

[lostsole31]

Owbar tumbles and moves 'full speed' while drawing his rapier, ending up in a flanked position with Adam against his wolf. Though agile, he has only a rudimentary amount of training with his weapon, and is much more interested in defense than attack as he hesitantly pokes at a seemingly exposed point on that wolf's belly.15' total movement (full move action while Tumbling). Tumble to avoid AOO = [roll0]

Attacking defensively: -4 attack, +2 dodge to AC.
Flanking: +2 attack
Total: -2 attack, +2 AC.
Attack (w/ rapier) = [roll1]
Damage = [roll2]
SA = [roll3]

AC = 17, t 17, f 11

[lostsole31]

Wow! Crit confirmation...
Confirmation roll = [roll0]
Bonus Crit damage = [roll1]

EDIT: Okay, not so much. But still! My first rolls of this game were a top-notch Tumble, a great stab, max SA and solid weapon damage. Missed the crit, but I'm okay with this as an out-of-the gate approach to a guy who is not really good at combat.

[jmbrown]

Owbar pokes the alpha in the hind quarters for 6 points of damage. It's a big tough wolf but a slight whimper overcomes its snarling.

R2I20: Realizing it's not going to get an easy meal, the alpha withdraws from combat moving laterally away from Adam and then takes off in a straight line to the entrance. Owbar manages to get a stab in but his focus on defense causes him to fail so utterly the rapier comically flies from his hands. The alpha speeds off 100' totally clearing the entrance and out the cairn itself.

R2I19: Without its leader, the smaller wolf attacking Ash withdraws and chases after the alpha moving 100'.

End of Combat

"That was fast." Ash kicks the burnt wolf to the side and picks up her torch. The hole in the rubble where the wolves emerged from is large enough for the wolves to emerge from... or a person of halfling/gnome size. Ash gives a sidelong glance at Winslow and Owbar. "There could be treasure in there!"

[UserClone]

Breathing a tiny sigh of relief, Cherrystone changes back in mid-flight, putting the phosphorous back into her spell component pouch as she lands. She takes a moment to adjust her ruffled feathers. "Well that was unexpected...listen, you're going to need to explain something to me - who are you, really? No monk I ever heard of has abilities anything like yours, nor favors weapons and armor. I don't want any part of going any further into this place with the likes of someone who can't be trusted with the simplest of truths."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow crouches down and takes a peek in the den of the wolves, more out of a desire to avoid any awkwardness from Cherrystone's questioning. As he examines the smelly warren, he ponders on the feats of martial prowess he had just witnessed, trying to recall any scrap of relevant information...


Ash seems to be doing some Tome of Battle-type stuff, but does Winslow know that? I'll roll some stuff, see if anything rings a bell.
Knowledge (history): [roll0]
Bardic Knowledge: [roll1]

Search check for the warren: [roll2]

That's a lot of 22's!

[jmbrown]

Ash scowls. "Questions, questions. Turn to the stars if you seek answers. A monk is a title as much as it is a way of life. I submit to Istus, weaver of the threads of fate, and I was mentored on The Sublime Way at a monastery. That makes me a monk."

Winslow

Without martial lore it's difficult to gather precise information. Among the martial elite is a practice called The Sublime Way. Where a fighter perfects his martial skill to perform great feats, martial adepts can perform superhuman, seemingly magical feats through mastery of mind, body, and spirit.

Curious enough, Adam is what's called a crusader. You know he spouts on and on about Pelor but his devotion is more martial than clerical. Through his faith he perfects his combat arts and withstand incredible punishment (sure enough, Adam can feel pain but when the wolf shredded his leg he didn't even flinch). Ash is what's called a sword-mage who not only practice The Sublime Way, but live for and study it. The heat of the forge, the pounding of the smithy's hammer, the purity of the metal, the exact arc of a swing, the way a muscle tenses during a charge, the direction a creature's eyes dart when they contemplate a move -- these subtleties no one else looks for empower a sword-mage and their almost magic-like abilities.

The wolve's den smells awful but buried under a pile of humanoid bones is a torn leather backpack. Inside is an intricate, diamond-shaped lamp made from indigo colored metal and glass. There's also a metal armband of elven design. The lamp could fetch about 50gp and the armband is worth about 75-100gp depending on the buyer.

At first he doesn't notice but the light from the torch barely illuminates a marble index finger likely chipped from a statue of some kind. The finger is made to scale as it's a few inches larger than his stubby halfling fingers.

[lostsole31]

It lasts only a few seconds, but Owbar doesn't even scoop down for his rapier. He breathes in smoothly and in controlled fashion, but his exhalation is jittery and nervous. Clearly he has never been in combat before, at least not mortal combat. After calming down, he wipes his rapier off as best as he can, pausing to regain his breath after that burst of adrenaline.

At Ash's description of her training, Owbar looks at Cherrystone, shrugs his shoulders, and nods his head in tilted fashion. "Sounds good to me!"

He probably was the more likely one to go 'into the hole' but here's to plot progression!

"Huh. Looks like with my share, I might be able to afford a cuir bouilli leather vest or the like in case any more wolves come a-snapping."

[jmbrown]

"Three years a miner's salary for each of us! Let's plunge deeper and hope we find more treasures... and fewer causes of their owner's death."

[Chrono22]

Adam nods his agreement, but then bends over to examine the extent of the damage to his form. He has some bite marks in his right leg, and a spot that's slightly dented in, but nothing serious.
He is missing 2 hitpoints out of 12.
"It seems safe enough to talk at length, now. These glyphs at the base of the mirror,", he gestures with a gauntlet "they are of the Icosiel script."
Adam shrugs as he continues, "Don't ask me how I know. Just like with Winslow's map, I seem to be receiving revelations about this place. I also hear voices. They are saying something about intruders, and death. We should remain alert. I suspect that those mangy wolves were the least of this place's defenses."
The metal man moves back to the forward position of the party.

who is carrying the loot? I'm throwing out a vote for Winslow to do so, at least for the light weight stuff. With his high charisma and personal gravity, he's sure to fetch a better price with it than any of the rest of us. I'm not really carrying much gear, so if we come across any particularly heavy or cumbersome loot, I'm your man.

[jmbrown]

Winslow

Icosiel script? No, the script is definitely auran. Icosiel may be the name of the craftsman or a clan but how Adam knows that is a mystery.

Ash has no objections. She wipes the blood off her sword and burns away the cobwebs as a hundred spiders scatter from the flames. The wide stairway descends into an immense domed chamber. Seven short tunnels branch from the room in all directions, extending some thirty feet before ending in rounded walls. At the terminus of each passage, a thick chain dangles from an unseen high ceiling. Five of the chains bear colorful lanterns (orange, yellow, green, blue, violet), but two hold nothing at all. Opposite the entry stairs a bright green lantern containing what looks like a torch casts a weird, murky light about the room. Countless chips of glass and shiny metal inset into the chamber's domed ceiling reflect this light, giving the impression of starlight and falling snow. The dome starts about ten feet off the ground and reaches an apex about thirty feet over the center of the room.

Below the dome's peak, a long dais holds what appears to be a marble sarcophagus. A milky white bas-relief figure, perhaps of a human, rests passively upon the sarcophagus lid. Unlike the rest of the tomb, this room is completely silent.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow puts the armband and the stone finger into his pack, but keeps the lantern out for now. As they enter the large room, the lantern seems to make more sense to him. Orange, yellow, green, blue, violet... if the pattern followed the colors of the rainbow, red and indigo were missing.
"I dare say this lantern hung in this room originally, probably between the blue and violet lanterns. I wonder..."
The halfling places the armband, the finger, and the lantern down by the central dais, then concentrates, and mutters a few nonsensical words under his breath.
"Arcanum Veritas"
His eyes glow blue for a moment as he gazes around the room, sensitive to the presence of magic...

(Casting Detect Magic, and concentrating for 1 minute, giving the whole room a thorough scan, as well as the items we recovered)

[jmbrown]

Winslow scans the room for magic. Neither the torches, armband, or finger are magical. The green lantern, which is the only lit one, radiates as magic but closer inspection reveals that there's a torch inside (likely an everburning torch). The sarcophagus itself radiates a faint aura of evocation.

Investigating the sarcophagus itself, the raised dais is actually a large arrow which currently points to the tunnel where the orange lantern dangles. A short shaft sticks out from the other end of the arrow and it looks like a suitably strong person can rotate the entire arrow by pushing it. The sarcophagus bears a carved statue of a humanoid creature on the lid. It looks like a human only hairless, androgynous, and about 7 feet tall. Its left hand is curled into a fist. The pinkie, ring, and middle fingers of the right hand are extended while the thumb curls into the palm. The index finger is missing -- putting two and two together, the finger Winslow found fits perfectly and shows that it curls underneath the thumb.

Checking the short tunnels reveals that their ceilings are 40' high. The tunnel where the blue lantern hangs extends up to 50' into darkness. A skeleton lays beneath this higher shaft. Each tunnel also has raised, circular caps jutting out the floor.

"You call this a tomb?" Ash's voice echoes. "Six lanterns total at fifty orbs a piece? That's 300 orbs between us. Not a bad haul."

[CockroachTeaParty]

"I wouldn't be so hasty to sell these lanterns just yet, Ash m'dear. This has the lookings of a puzzle or lock mechanism to me. They must have some significance to these circular designs on the floor... the fact that the sarcophagus seems to be able to rotate, and point in specific corridors, also piques my curiosity... Let us tread carefully, however; somebody less fortunate than ourselves rests down the blue lantern's corridor..."

Winslow examines the skeleton for any clues, before returning to the sarcophagus, the broken finger in his hands.
"Would any of you have any minor mending magics, perchance? Or some glue? We might be able to restore this carving to its original state."

[jmbrown]

With only his common sense to aid him, Winslow fails to determine the skeleton's cause of death.

[Chrono22]

Recalling the abandoned bedroll near the cave entrance, Adam puts two and two together. "Perhaps the person became trapped here, unable to escape."
And, to himself: 'I hope we do not meet the same fate.'

Adam examines the corpse and tries to identify the cause of death. He's looking for broken bones, signs of starvation, or other traits that identify the state of the victim's body when he died.
Heal check [roll0]

[jmbrown]

Ash shrugs. "Makes no sense to me. The entrance is still open so unless this place closes if we step on a plate or something I don't see that happening." She fishes an oil lantern out of her pack and lights it with the torch, tossing the torch to the side.

Adam checks the skeleton. Its legs are crushed and a crack along the skull is a tell tale sign of a concussion. The body fell... from about 50' at that. Adam looks up into the dark overhead with the dangling chain.

[UserClone]

"May I borrow that torch?"

((Assuming the torch is handed over)) Cherrystone sticks the torch through her belt, flying up into the darkness above the blue lantern. She specifically avoids the chain.

[jmbrown]

The torch was discarded and Ash certainly doesn't raise an objection.

Flying up, the ceiling here is 50' high with a hallway set at the 40' mark. A thin passage (5' wide) extends to the northeast. 60' away at the very edge of the shadowy light is what looks like an enormous stone human face, its mouth open in an angry scream. The face is bald and hairless resembling the sarcophagus down below. There are claw marks on the floor as if something was drug across it.

Adam
I forgot to mention, the statue embedded into the sarcophagus wears a carved periapt bearing another glyph. This one reads "Zosiel."

[Chrono22]

"Several of the bones are broken, which is telling of a fall. The skull looks like it suffered a concussion, possibly from the fall or... he may have been attacked with a blunt object."


As Cherrystone retrieves the torch, Adam lights his common lamp so that the area remains illuminated. He leaves it in the center of the chamber, on top of the sarcophagus. He notices the glyph by chance, and utters the word,

"Zosiel."
Periapts often draw on religious or spiritual symbolism, and their construction is heavily influenced by cultural norms. Does the shape of the periapt, or the word Zosiel ring a bell?

Knowledge (religion) check [roll0]
Knowledge (history) check [roll1]

[jmbrown]

Nothing stirs within Adam's mind. Studying the sarcophagus, it's just large enough for Adam to comfortably fit in there if opened. The humanoid's hand is the right size. Why, If Adam weren't an animated suit of armor with a skeletal system and this statue were a real creature, he would fit it perfect like a glove.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow eyes the animated suit of armor carefully.
"Say, Adam... I know you're something of a mysterious figure in Diamond Lake, and you seem to be quite familiar with... things, in this cairn. Do you ever remember being within its confines before? Perhaps you originally came from whatever culture constructed this place? Pardon my ignorance, I've no intention to offend, just idle speculation..."

[UserClone]

"I've found something up here! There's a passage. There's some kind of giant screaming face carved out of the end; the carving takes up the whole wall almost. And there are dragging claw marks on the floor. What do you make of it?"

"Actually...somebody check the corpse's fingers. Are they damaged?"

[lostsole31]

Shazzbot! You guys had a lot of stuff going on today!Owbar looks at Cherrystone, then back at the sarcophagus. He shrugs. "A sarcophagus or a screaming face. I guess it really doesn't matter if I don't have a suit of armor," he says philosophically. "I'm for following a face, not disturbing the dead."

Still, Owbar takes a few seconds to study the sarcophagus. Search for traps, [roll0].

[jmbrown]

No traps on the sarcophagus as far as Owbar can tell.

Ash chips in "What about the raised dais and arrow? Are we not going to investigate that?"

[UserClone]

"I was thinking about that, too," says cherrystone as she alights on the floor next to Ash. "The face of the screaming wall bore quite a resemblance to that of the bas-relief on the sarcophagus, suggesting they might be connected somehow. Perhaps we ought to point it towards the blue corridor, just as an experiement. What say you all?"

With that, she flits off back down the blue lantern hallway to check the corpse's fingers herself.

[Chrono22]

"I don't know who I am, really. I came out of a hillside thirty years ago."
...
"Point it... oh yeah. Didn't that map Winslow drew point to a particular corridor?"

[jmbrown]

Ash grows impatient, grabs the arrow shaft, and tries to push it. "Damn thing's stuck!" She instead tries to pull it and with some effort she manages to move the arrow to the yellow tunnel. "Oof. The thing only moves clockwise. Who designed this garbage!?" The dais clicks into place and an audible "FWOOMPH" sound is heard.

Rising from the yellow tunnel, the circular disc shoots up eight feet to reveal a cylindrical stone tube. Two thin stone doors slide open revealing a space that could comfortably fit a single medium creature.

"Well! Who first?"

[Chrono22]

"You aren't going first? Or did the stars tell you someone else needs to?" Though his visor is expressionless, his tone tells you he would probably be smirking.
Adam steps forward cautiously and examines the interior of the space. He takes his lantern with him.
"This may be a trap... but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Or was it, no pain, no gain?"
He steps into the tube.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone is in the blue tunnel examining the corpse's fingers when she hears the stone tube moving far down the hall.
"What in the hells was THAT?!" she cries.

[jmbrown]

OOC: The tunnel with the face above the blue-lantern chamber is separate from the main room (where everyone is) that contains the sarcophagus with the broken finger. Refer to the map Winslow "drew" on page 1 for an idea of what the area looks like.

"I would read the stars, metal man, when you devise a way to view them during day under cover of thick stone." She hands Adam her lantern as he bravely steps in. The doors immediately close and the tube swiftly slides down until the "cap" is flush with the ground. He steps out having descended 20' below the current floor.

The walls are covered in bas-relief images similar to the slender figure upon the sarcophagus lid in the chamber above. Nearly a dozen androgynous, hairless humanoids stand in poses of deference, almost as if they are paying homage to the viewer. Many extend their hands in adoration, their faces awash in adulation. Several of the statues lack hands, arms, heads, or anything else easily hacked off by long absent tomb robbers.

About fifteen feet to the south, a dark passage extends from an elaborately carved arch. Only a little of this hallway is visible as a large stone block obscures most of the passage.

As soon as Adam steps out the "elevator" it closes and rushes back up. Ash is the next to step in and she retrieves her lantern from Adam.

"Great. We finally get somewhere and there's a roadblock."

[UserClone]

After she's done examining the corpse's fingers ((which I still apparently have no information on)), Cherrystone comes back to the central room, and finding everyone in the room with the yellow lantern, she follows them over there, and seeing that Adam and Ash are missing, she asks "Where's Ada-" just as the tube pops back up. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow has been watching the proceedings with the yellow-corridor's stone tube-elevator with increasing concern. He was beginning to sincerely doubt that this Ash woman was in full possession of her mental faculties. Sure, she was pretty, and sure, she could slice a wolf in half, but her fragmented, strange manner, combined with her willingness to blindly step forward into a potential deathtrap, was mildly disconcerting.
Perhaps she knew something he did not, but the presence of a skeleton in the chamber spoke to Winslow of something insidious, and the fact that the stone face in the corridor above was apparently screaming according to Cherrystone did little to comfort the halfling.
"Is anybody else going down there? I do hope they come back up... we need to think this through..."

[lostsole31]

"They went that way," says Owbar, pointing to the tube even as he steps inside it himself.

[UserClone]

Heh. Not so much. I have a sort of thing about confined, underground spaces. As in, I don't do that, for example," she says, pointing the tip of her wingfeather at the vertical stone coffin stone elevator.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow decides to keep the bird-woman-person company. He shrugs, and gives her an exasperated smile.
"You'd think we were on a friendly family picnic? Never mind the corpse, or shattered magical artifacts, or looming aura of ancient, unknowable history, hmm?"

[Chrono22]

OOC: does the block take up the entire tunnel? Does it appear to be of the same material composition as the surrounding walls? Or is it seem to be disconnected from the rest of the tunnel, like a simple obstacle? I guess the big question for me is: is it holding up the ceiling; is it load bearing?
If only we had someone down here with experience in underground construction and demolition...

Adam walks up the the block, and takes a good look at it, before giving it a short push.

[jmbrown]

The block is set within an archway so no, it bears no load topside. The gap is big enough to see (barely) in the room beyond which is surprisingly chilly given the already cool temperature of being underground in the winter months. A small creature could slide through the gap between the block and the arch but a man-sized creature would have a tough struggle even with several folk aiding him. The block itself is literally just that; a stone block. It's made of the same stone as the walls and Adam's testing push reveals that it's sturdy but not immobile.

Just as Adam contemplates the meanings of slate and masonry, the leading expert of such things steps out of the elevator. Ash is meditating on the floor.

[Chrono22]

"Ah, glad you could join us. What do you make of this, smallfellow?"
Adam gestures to the obstacle.

[lostsole31]

Owbar carefully searches and examines what he can.Take 20 on Search = 26.

Knowledge: Architecture [roll0]
Profession: Mining [roll1]

EDIT: Wow! Holy crap!!!

[jmbrown]

Owbar spends 4 minutes searching the stone block. There's a faint outline of a pressure plate beneath the stone block and it strikes Owbar that this is a primitive but effective trap. Using his expert knowledge of architecture, he traces intricate patterns in the stonework (completely invisible to the untrained observer) and finds minuscule holes carved into the adoring mouths of the androgynous human bas-reliefs. This is some type of dart or poison gas trap which goes off when a thick-headed buffoon bowls the block over causing the plate to pop up.

Owbar sticks one of his masterwork probes into the floor plate and with a flick of the wrist (he can take 10 and still make it) there's an audible "click" as the mechanism is ruined. The stone block can be safely pushed over without fear of the trap going off.

During Adam's testing of the block's sturdiness, he comes to the conclusion that it would take at least four people in tandem to push the block over. Two small folk would of course count as one big person.

[lostsole31]

Realizing that they don't quite have the mass required for this job, Owbar takes out his rapier. He looks at the others and explains what he found, then says, "Sound moves faster through solids. We can't shout to the others, but I can tap on this tube we came down, and they should be able to hear it - especially Winslow. He's closer to the ground, and I'll warrant as a bard he has well-trained ears. He won't understand 'Miner's Shortcut' - a very rudimentary, tap-based communication. But my calm rythym, devoid of frenetic banging, should tell them we're all right and that they should come down with us."

Owbar begins tapping with the pommel of his rapier. It's a short series of taps, but basically any miner would understand it is "Low site good. Come down." This is not Morse code. Miner taps have fallen by the wayside with modern comms, but they are still used. jmbrown, you aren't a submariner, but think of DC tapping. On submarines, hammer taps are used for a series of very short messages for escape trunk operations... and are very short, not letter-by-letter like Morse code.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow hears the steady tapping of something down below... at first wondering whether it is a mechanical sound, or perhaps the scraping of some undead guardian... but no, it had to be some kind of code, some kind of basic communication. Figuring that it was a sign from the others to proceed, Winslow is next to enter the tube, with a shrug and a weak smile to Cherrystone.
"It seems there's news from below. Well, I can't make a decent story out of this if I spend it safe and sound up here. I'm sure we'll find a way out. The 'stars' no doubt have divined a path for us."

(Winslow's heading down. Wee! Let's advance stuff.)

[jmbrown]

Does Cherrystone remain upstairs in the main hall?

[UserClone]

Cherrystone paces back and forth, her feathers ruffling and her talons clicking on the stone floor. Finally, she steels herself, clamping her beak tight and holding her breath as she forcefully shoves her body into the elevator. As it opens in the floor below her, everyone can hear the end of a scream cutting itself off. She falls to her knees on the floor by the elevator, and collecting herself, wipes a few tears from her eyes and smooths her feathers back down.
"So, what have we down here?" she asks, pretending as though none of that had happened.

[Chrono22]

"See for yourself." He puts a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the offending hexahedron.
"Let's see if we can't get it out of the way...
...
Everyone ready? On three.
One, two, thre-PUSH!"

[UserClone]

Cherrystone, shrugging, throws her shoulder into the stone block. I guess this is an assist roll? [roll0] ((Edit: hopefully she doesn't hinder the others' efforts. :smalltongue:))

[jmbrown]

After much heaving, five people working together manage to bring the stone down. As Owbar predicted, the pressure plate beneath the slab slides up but his disabling of the activator keeps whatever insiduous trap hidden in the walls from activating.

Curious carvings that seem to represent a stiring tempest cover the walls of this ten-foot wide passage. At ten-foot intervals, small alcoves flank the passage, and each alcove contains an androgynous humanoid figure with cupped hands. The figures stand roughly seven feet tall. A faint wind seems to play within the passage, but it's difficult to tell where it's coming from.

A blue ray pierces the darkness from one of the alcoves and strikes Winslow who collapses on the floor.

R1I23

Adam: 9
Winslow: 12
Owbar: 22
Cherrystone: 18
Ash: 17

A blue ray fires from the darkness again and strikes Ash but nothing happens. In one of the nearby alcoves is a horrific monster that appears as a 3 foot long strand of striated muscle connected to two floating eyeballs. It stretches and twists in the air, this disturbing alien beast, and it immediately zooms off 60' down the hallway before vanishing around the bend.

R1I22: Winslow's down and a monstrosity unlike any has seen before just flew off into the darkness. The hallway is 60' and opens up into another room visible beyond the shadowy light of Ash's lantern.

[lostsole31]

Owbar pulls Winslow back behind Adam, and gets his rapier at the ready. "What the hell was that?!?"

[jmbrown]

R1I18: Cherrystone, Ash, and Adam are standing side-by-side having just finished pushing the block down. Owbar drags Winslow's body behind Adam and readies his weapon. The corridor is 10' wide and 60' long before it opens up into a room shrouded by darkness as it's beyond Ash's light.

Something evil lurketh that way. Cherrystone's action?

[Chrono22]

I'll go ahead and post what my action will be now, I'm not sure about my availability later. Just assume it happens after Cherrystone's.

Adam crouches behind the overturned block and pulls his healers' kit out of his backpack.

"I'll see if I can rouse Winslow. I don't know what that was, but whatever it is, it's dangerous."

Working quickly, he searches Winslow's body for signs of injury. If he locates and identifies any, he attempts to administer aid to the halfling.
Heal check [roll0]
Edit: of course I roll a two:smallannoyed:. At least I didn't stab him in the eye with a catheter.

[Chrono22]

Oh, yeah. I forgot one thing. Here are the maneuvers Adam has available:
1: Crusader's Strike
2: Vanguard Strike
3: Stone Bones
4: Charging Minotaur
5: Douse the Flames

He only has access to two of them at the start of combat, randomly determined. I'll determine which, based on two rolls of a d5, where the resulting number corresponds to the accessible maneuver.
[roll0]
[roll1]
If repeats:
[roll2]
[roll3]

Edit: My maneuvers are Vanguard Strike, and Stone Bones. I'm granted access to an additional one of my prepared maneuvers at the start of each of my turns.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone pulls the phosphorous back out of her pouch and casts a spell. A ghostly green version of Adam made of eerie light appears at the corner of the hallway that the eye creature went down, and she moves up 30' towards the corner. Casting ghost light.

[lostsole31]

Owbar looks at Cherrystone and smiles, following her steps. He concentrates, and at the same point as Cherrystone's illusion, it sounds (to someone around the corner) as if someone (like Adam, and friends) are coming around the corner ("approaching" style sound).

Given any amount of time, Owbar will then close to the corner with full stealth, ready to stab with his rapier at anything trying to pop out at False Adam. Ghost sound, though the DC to recognize is a little higher, since it is a SLA and the Verbal/ Somatic cannot be observed (and no materials, either).

Also, I'll let you roll for Owbar's Hide (+14)/ Move Silently (+10) and Listen/ Spot (both +7), with the parenthesized modifiers.

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone casts her spell as directed. The ghostly figure of Adam lights up the room beyond the hallway as a torch.

R1I17: Ash drops her lantern (cracking the glass but the flame remains lit) and moves 60' to reach the very end of the hallway to stand side-by-side with the ghostly Adam.

R1I12: A deep grumbling noise emits from Winslow's diaphragm that sounds like he's choking.

R1I9: Adam pulls out his healing kit and checks over Winslow. Flipping him over, the choking sound gives way to a deep, nasally inhalation. Winslow's snoring! Adam gives the halfling a violent shake and he comically kicks the air as he awakens.

R1I8: Winslow awakens with a start. He had a brief dream about drowning in a pool of treasure.

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone casts her spell as directed. The ghostly figure of Adam lights up the room beyond the hallway as a torch.

R1I17: Ash drops her lantern (cracking the glass but the flame remains lit) and moves 60' to reach the very end of the hallway to stand side-by-side with the ghostly Adam.

R1I12: A deep grumbling noise emits from Winslow's diaphragm that sounds like he's choking.

R1I9: Adam pulls out his healing kit and checks over Winslow. Flipping him over, the choking sound gives way to a deep, nasally inhalation. Winslow's snoring! Adam gives the halfling a violent shake and he comically kicks the air as he awakens.

R2I24: From their position, Cherrystone, Adam, Owbar, and Winslow can't see the eye-monster but a red ray pierces the ghostly Adam and a second red ray hits Ash but nothing happens.

R2I22: Owbar creates his illusionary sound and sneaks down the hall.

R2I18: Cherrystone is currently concentrating on her spell. What does she do?

[UserClone]

"Have the noise follow him when I move him towards the...whatever that is," says Cherrystone to Owbar with a wink. She moves 30 feet towards the ghost light, and then causes it to move 10 feet forwards towards the creature (the direction the red beams came from).

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone moves 30' into the hall (she's halfway through) and pushes the ghostly Adam further in.

R2I117: Ash seems distracted at first as she looks down the hall "Cherrystone, get out of the hall! I hear an army approaching!" She drops her falchion and draws a sling. She fires a bullet at something unseen above her. "Yes! I hit it!"

R2I12: Winslow is prone and unarmed. Cherrystone is halfway down the hall, Ash is fighting at something, Adam is standing above him, a ghostly green Adam stands threateningly by Ash, and Owbar is nowhere to be seen. The sounds of charging footsteps can be heard in the hallway which is otherwise empty save Cherrystone.

[Chrono22]

Adam begins reciting the holy words of The Light of Pelor as he moves around the block and 40 feet down the corridor.
"And Pelor spoke, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' "
As he walks, Adam holds his common lamp firmly in his right gauntlet.

Next maneuver made available:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
First result that is not 2 or 3 will determine which maneuver Adam is imparted.
Edit: Adam is granted Crusader's Strike.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow feels groggy and slightly embarrassed. Color flushes to his face as he stands up. He blinks for a moment before spotting his sling on the floor, which he picks up sheepishly. Then, finally aware that they are under attack by some unknown assailant, the halfling attempts to find some cover.


Move action: stand up from prone.
Move action: pick up sling.
If possible, 5 foot step into some cover if we've got any.
That's my turn!

[jmbrown]

Winslow takes a step and the wall provides him cover from whatever is down the hall.

R2I9: Adam strides down the hall chanting in Pelor's name. The effect in combination with the sound of marching humans is quite dramatic.

R3I24: The eye-monster floats into view (effectively taking a 5' step) and fires a red ray at Adam. Adam is suddenly awash with a sensation of fear but his faith keeps him calm, although shakened. Another red ray hits Ash causing her to scream "AAAAIIIIIYYY!!!"

R3I22: Owbar is 15' in the 60' long hallway; Cherrystone is 15' ahead of him, Adam is 25' ahead of him, and the ghostly Adam is 50' away inside the room further down the chamber. The eye monster is 50' away (floating just above a screaming Ash and the ghostly Adam) and without cover. It visibly shudders and ties itself in and out of a knot as if something frightened it.

The room beyond where Ash is fighting features a large, dull gray stone pillar that reaches from floor to ceiling. Halls extend to the east and west of this room.

[lostsole31]

R3I22: Owbar charges the thing yelling, "Close on this thing!" He stabs straight upwards at the end of his charge.Charge [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

AC: 13, t 13, f 9

[jmbrown]

Owbar nails the monster in a bulbous portion of its eye. It twists and contorts itself in anger.

R3I18: Cherrystone is still concentrating on her effect and 30' away from Owbar and the monster.

[lostsole31]

"It ain't fooled, Cherrystone!" yells Owbar as he is dueling with this thing. "It was a nice tactic. It failed. Move on to something more direct."

[UserClone]

"It's not meant to be fooled, little one! It's meant to be scared. And shaken it is," hisses Cherrystone as she advances another 10 feet, keeping the ghostly Adam just outside of melee reach of the thing, the image maintaining a cruelly menacing stance.

[Chrono22]

Adam rushes at the vile monster, and when he gets close enough, he punches out with his right gauntlet.

"Let there be LIGHT!"
Slam attack [roll0] Damage [roll1] bludgeoning.
If hit: additional [roll2] fire damage, and 1 point of splash fire damage to all within 5 feet.
If you allow a player to use a maneuver (a standard action) as part of a charge in lieu of a standard attack (also a standard action), then Adam will use Vanguard Strike to grant his allies a +4 bonus on attack rolls against the creature for 1 round.

Lastly, determining Adam's fourth granted maneuver:
[roll3]
Edit: Adam's fourth granted maneuver is Douse the Flames.
2nd Edit: Oh and the splash damage went into Adam's Steely Resolve pool. So he has +1 to hit and damage rolls until the end of his next turn.

[jmbrown]

Cherrystone advances slowly while maintaining concentration.

R3I17: "The stars said nothing about eldritch horrors!" The fastest route of egress for Ash is directly away from the monster and through one of the adjoining rooms. She withdraws full haste but staggers as she crosses the threshold, clearly in pain from something. "Ah, no! So cold!!" She disappears in the darkness beyond.

R3I12: Winslow's turn.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow watches the proceedings, not sure what to make of this strange creature or what it seems to be doing with its eye rays. Nonplussed, he places a lead bullet in his sling before sending it towards one of the goggling eyes...


Move action: load sling.
Standard action: fire!
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Not sure on the range increment (-2 per 50 ft.) or if I'm firing into melee (-4), so feel free to add whatever penalties might otherwise apply.
...
Not that it matters...

[jmbrown]

For the second time in the day Winslow pegs Adam with a bullet that pings harmlessly off his armor.

R3I9: Adam pushes forward and punches out with his lamp. The attack completely shatters the lamp, piercing the bulbous eyes, and splashing Owbar and Adam with 1 point of fire damage as flaming oil stains them. The monster collapses at Adam's feet.

End of Combat

With the adrenaline of battle wearing off it becomes immediately evident that it's really, really cold in this space. At least 20 degrees colder than everywhere else. There's a large pillar in the center of the room extending from floor to ceiling. There's a niche in the pillar and a large stone column that looks completely out of place. There are two entrances to side rooms, one north and the other south.

Ash can be heard in the northern room shivering. "D-don't come closer. Something n-n-nearly froze me to d-d-death." The only light in the space is the ghostly Adam and Ash's lantern which she dropped at the entrance.

[lostsole31]

"What in Hades?!" Owbar hisses through the burn. "Watch it next time, will you, you hulking metal monkey!"

[Chrono22]

"My apologies. The creature was hiding from us in the darkness. I thought it would be hard for it to hide when it's on fire."
He looks to Ash's shivering form.
"Are you badly hurt? Can you see what froze you?"

[lostsole31]

Meanwhile, Owbar is going to search the niche and the pillars. First, for traps. Then, he'll take 20 to make a more detailed search. "Winslow, can you help me take a look over here? I'll check for traps first, but your keen eye can definitely help after that."Search modifier is +6 to look for traps.

26 is result of Taking 20 for a deeper search of anything else on the pillar/ niche.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone will continue to concentrate on the ghostly image, moving it towards the pillars to help Winslow's vision.

She moves back towards Ash's abandoned lantern, striding towards it with the intent of picking it up, but moves slowly enough that she can maintain concentration on the spell.

[jmbrown]

"How the hell should I know?! That thing did something to my mind. I run off scared, step on something squishy, and... s-so cold. I don't think I can stand.

The southern room (the one opposite Ash is in) appears to have daylight streaking in. Owbar begins a search of the immediate area.

-The large pillar contains a large stone colum set into a man-sized niche like a walk-in closet. It appears to be a trap that was set off a long time ago.

-There's a lever on the far wall.

-On one side of the pillar is a depression with a drain. A spigot 8' high juts from the wall resembling some kind of primitive shower. The operating mechanism or pump is nowhere to be seen.

-On another side of the pillar is a fountain filled with orange sludge. It's thick, goopy, and has the appearance of vomit. There's no odor and surprisingly it looks fresh and edible.

Owbar moves to the northern side of the pillar facing the room Ash is hiding in. He takes a single step and immediately retracts as a terrible chill runs down his body. Barely visible in the shadowy light of the ghostly Adam (which I assume Cherrystone is still concentrating on considering it's the only light aside from the discarded lantern) is some kind of brown substance growing out of the ground. It appears to be mold but the air around it is unbarably frigid.

[lostsole31]

Owbar has heard that several varieties of mold and fungus are terrible, but he doesn't know much more than that. He backs up like a shot, and points it out to the others. "There it is! Some kinda' brown mold is making it cold in here!"

[UserClone]

"Maybe you could burn it away with this lantern..." muses Cherrystone, to whom mold that freezes you to death sounds even less pleasant than mold in general.

[Chrono22]

Adam goes back to the entrance and retrieves his healer's kit, before returning to inspect the sludge.
He's looking to see if there is anything in the bottom of the pool, and to ponder over just what the heck this stuff is.
Hearing Cherrystone's suggestion, he responds,
"That sounds like as good an idea as any. I'm out a lamp, though."

[jmbrown]

"Do something, please! I can't take this anymore! The stars said nothing about chilling mold!"

[jmbrown]

The sludge is odorless but fresh and possibly edible. Being a creature with no digestive system, shoving a handful into Adam's visor-mouth would do nothing more than make a runny mess.

[CockroachTeaParty]

The presence of deadly mold, the various levers and other gizmos, and the corpse of the strange eyeball creature all serve to put Winslow on edge.
"I'm afraid I don't have any good sources of fire on me, aside from that lantern we found, but I'm hesitant to destroy it. It might still be of use in the room with the other colored lanterns...
Ash, can you see anything where you are? Are you in any immediate danger?"
Winslow is stumped, not sure how to proceed. He looks up at Adam.
"Would you be effected by deadly drops in temperature, Adam? Maybe you could go retrieve our wayward monk?"

[lostsole31]

"I'm so poor," says Owlbar, "That other than a few odd mechanics' tools, I have only my sword. That, and my threadbare clothing. I'm sorry, friends, but I didn't have any means to get good spelunking equipment. I really wish I had a bow. I'm not cut out for swordplay."

[Chrono22]

"*sigh* I'll see what I can do."
Adam walks up to the tunnel, and tosses one of his pints of oil onto the mold.
"Anyone have a match?"

[UserClone]

"I have the ability, but we'd lose my source of light..." says Cherrystone almost absentmindedly; it's obvious most of her faculties are commited to maintaining her current spell.

[Chrono22]

"Hmm. That won't do, we'll all be stuck down here if we can't see."
Absentmindedly tugging his long red ponytail, Adam has an idea.
"Ash, do you see another one of the tubes on your end? We might be able to get you out that way."

[jmbrown]

Ash calls from the darkness "You guys have no torches or flint and steel? You're terrible adventurers!" She hesitates before speaking again.

"Forgive my frustration. Create a line of oil to act as a fuse so you don't have to touch the damnable mold. Also, I left my lantern by the elevator. You can shatter that on the mold. You could also... also leave and seek one of the rangers at the Bronzewood Lodge. It's only an hour away. Maybe they can tell you what this damnable mold is."

[lostsole31]

"Tell me how to get there, and I volunteer to go. I am otherwise useless, but my small legs are still as fast as any of yours," says Owlbar.

[jmbrown]

"I don't know, I'm not a native of this place! "I'm in no danger, though. The room is empty with no obvious escapes or entrances."

Sure enough, the wide chamber Ash is in must once have been the living quarters of an important figure. A large stone slab that suggests the shape of a bed rests against the east wall, under a huge bas-relief of a robust, long-nosed bald humanoid figure with outstretched hands. The figure wears a lovingly sculpted wind-tossed robe that gives him the appearance of a triumphant god. A glyph that looks like a stylized arrow marks an amulet worn around the figure's neck. Wardrobes and dressers seemingly carved from the stone walls look to have been ransacked a long time ago.

Everyone, being a native of Diamond Lake, knows that there's a ring of menhirs on the outskirts of Diamond Lake. Lodge members usually congregate there during the day to discuss their plans. Winslow knows that the actual Lodge is 2 hours away because it's in the opposite direction of the cairns.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"Allow me, Cherrystone."
With a flick of his wrist, Winslow causes the hem of his cloak to radiate soft white light.
"Ash, if you think you'll be able to manage several hours of isolation in complete darkness, we can return better prepared and informed. I'm afraid I see no other option than to re-equip and consolidate at this point."

(If there's nothing we can do, I'm all for making for the Lodge.
Winslow casts Light, expending all of his magic for the day. We've 10 minutes of light to work with.)

[Chrono22]

"Hmm. I think I'll stay here, in case more of those eldritch horrors show up. Be careful of the wolves."
Adam goes back upstairs to retrieve one of the lanterns (the yellow one, if it's available), fills it with oil, and lights it before returning. He then tosses his healer's kit to Ash.
"There are some ointments in there for frostbite. Try to treat yourself, if you can."

[lostsole31]

Owbar, probably/ definitely knowing where a stone formation like the menhirs are, makes his way out.

[jmbrown]

Ash tosses the healer's kit back. "I don't know the difference between a bandage and a gauze. Keep it."

Meanwhile

Two votes for visiting the lodge. It's a quick and uneventful journey so whether Cherrystone goes or not isn't important. The lodge itself actually to the north east of Diamond Lake/due north of the Cairn. Reaching it takes about an hour-and-a-half because of Winslow's slower speed. The lodge itself is a 12-room piling of menhirs covered with sod and simply furnished. Nogwier, the head druid, isn't available but the scouts that guard the place direct everyone to the healer-on-duty named Rudolf.

"Ah, yes yes yes. Brown mold. It's a good thing you didn't light it on fire. It absorbs all heat and grows tremendously in the presence of fire. I hear particularly cruel wizards let it grow in their dungeons so they can control fire elementals. Stick that stuff in a box and threaten them with it, hoo-boy!

I digress. A little bit of frost magic is all that's needed to kill an entire patch. Any cantrip should do it like ray of frost."

Back at the Cairn
One of the colored lanterns is already lit with an everburning torch inside. Removing the torch, Adam finds that the flames inside the lantern stay lit. Ash ends up resting on the bed and a column of air gently levitates her off the slab. "Oh, my. This is comfort-- *SNOOOOOOOORE*"

[lostsole31]

"Thanks, Rudolph," Owbar will say simply, probably after Winslow gives his flourishy goodbye. Back to the cavern. Now, be Cherrystone with us, or be it after we get back (which is a four-hour round trip, btw), "Cherrystone, the head-druid says blast it with cold. Heat only makes it grow stronger because that's what it 'feeds' upon. Got any cold magics?"

[Chrono22]

Adam marvels at the magic that allows the lantern to remain lit... as an experiment, he passes the everburning torch into each of the other lanterns. He then heads back down and lets Ash use the healers' kit, which she promptly hands back to him. He takes the everburning torch with him.
...
While Ash snores, Adam spends some time in religious contemplation.
He's going to spend 10 minutes changing his readied maneuvers to:
1-3: Crusader's Strike
and
2-5: Vanguard Strike

Those two seem to have far more utility than I had first imagined.
After praying, he'll take out his artisans' toolkit and start disassembling his left leg. After removing the outer plating, he'll put the damaged portions into a metal vice and use a hammer to try to bring them back into their original shape. If the racket bothers Ash, he'll throw her some some cotton balls from the healers' kit with which she can plug her ears.
Craft (armorsmithing) check [roll0]
I'm not sure how much 4 hours of work will do. He's sustained 3 points of damage so far.

[jmbrown]

Adam manages to hammer out the wolf-tooth dinks in his armor but without at least twice the time he can't accomplish any major repairs.

[UserClone]

As Adam works to repair his plating, Cherrystone reforms the eldritch energies in her mind, aligning the elemental forces within her, and shifting the balance slightly in favor of water.

She stands up after over an hour, and asks that the others, including Ash, stand back from the mold.

"Here goes nothing."

A tiny ray of weak blue light is emitted from the tip of her wing and strikes the surface of the mold.

Cherrystone casts ray of frost.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[lostsole31]

Owbar looks at this spectacle, and says flatly, "Yeah. That'll show it."

[Chrono22]

Did passing the everburning torch through the other lanterns do anything?

[jmbrown]

Passing the everburning torch through the other four lanterns instantly lights them. There is no flame, not even the signature heatless flame of the torch, just light that shimmers off the colored glass which reflects brightly in the main hall. It's actually pretty hypnotic if not totally distracting.

4 hours later

The tiny ray strikes the mold squarely and the entire 20 square foot patch frosts over before silently exploding in a cloud of dust and harmless spores. Gradually the (still chilly) temperature returns to the space.

Ash is snoring on a gust of wind of wind 10' above a stone slab. Adam checks her and notices advanced stages of frostbite but the color has returned to most of the skin and there's no permanent damage.

Adam
Heal check reveals she was staggered from the intense cold damage but has recovered about 40%. Adam also "translates" the rune on the bed and rest of the room as saying "Nadroc, the Architect"

At this point Ash wakes up and lightly touches the ground. She has to force herself away from the bed and retrieve her lantern. "Oh, wow. Most comfortable rest ever. Thanks for the rescue guys." Anyone standing close to the bed is instantly fatigued as if they hadn't slept in days. Moving away from the bed clears the mind again.The rest of the room Ash is in shows signs of being looted completely decades ago.

In the other room opposite of her resting place is a chamber with a large ceiling glowing with what looks like natural sunlight, illuminating a series of worktables, vises, spinning wheels, and blocks of unfinished marble. A huge unfinished statue of an imposing bare-chested warrior wielding a staff-like rod in its left hand dominates the north wall. The hairless figure looks similar to the bas-relief on the sarcophagus upstairs but is clearly meant to be a different person. A short red metal pedestal against the south wall displays what appears to be a jet-black stone egg the size of a small boulder. A gold glyph, an equilateral triangle with short hash marks through each leg, marks the face of the egg.

[Chrono22]

Adam remarks on the contents of the room as he enters.

"Verily, this Nadroc fellow had an appreciation for fine art."

He pauses momentarily to admire the workmanship of the egg and statue, before glancing up.

"Not so much for daylight. He must have spent many late hours working away at this table. It's curious, though. There are sleeping quarters across the chamber, and this is obviously a work station. Did he eat the goo in the font? Why would someone want to live in a tomb?"

Adam lightly taps the surface of the onyx egg with a gauntlet to see if it's hollow.

[jmbrown]

As there is no skylight (and the fact you're about 20' underground), the sun light effect is magical.

Adam taps the "egg." It shudders slightly before two powerful arms and comically tiny legs spring out from it. The creature looks like a halfling sized ape... and six times as strong. It turns to the side and makes a spitting sound (tiny pebbles fly from its "mouth") and speaks in a language that sounds like boulders grinding together. He addresses Adam in his entirety and begins hopping up and down the pedestal screaming curses which sound like a landslide.

Owbar
Everyone laughed at you for learning one of the elemental languages but look at you now! Translating terran is slightly difficult because there are only so many nouns for "rocks" in the common tongue.

"By the craggy hills of Mt. Boulderdash, I finished your tomb, now release me! Hmmm? You're not Nadroc or his silt-headed minions. Have you come to laugh at poor old Artophanx?! You humiliate me in battle, clasp me in irons, and force me to build your slaggin' tomb for your slate-head lords! A curse on you, Vaati! A curse on your slaggin' race! Speak your business or leave me to my sleep!!! I was dreaming of loam..."

[UserClone]

"What the Hells...?" Cherrystone manages to sputter before the creature goes on its long-winded diatribe.

After Owbar translates (assuming he does so):

"Ask it if there's some way we can help free it from this place, won't you?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow was just about to ask Adam who 'Nadroc' was, before the little rock-egg-ape thing springs into life. The halfling merely stares at the creature, slack-jawed, wondering if it might attack...

[lostsole31]

Winslow was thinking about it, but Owbar at least got out, "Who's - ?"

Fascinated by machines, and having more of a tinkerer's knowledge than anything really useful, Owbar looks at the others, translating what he heard into Common: "By the craggy hills of Mt. Boulderdash, I finished your tomb, now release me! Hmmm? You're not Nadroc or his silt-headed minions. Have you come to laugh at poor old Artophanx?! You humiliate me in battle, clasp me in irons, and force me to build your slaggin' tomb for your slate-head lords! A curse on you, Vaati! A curse on your slaggin' race! Speak your business or leave me to my sleep!!! I was dreaming of loam..."

"Oh," continues Owbar, "he also said some other things to Adam. Not fit to repeat, but you can understand his plight, can't you?"

Owbar gives Cherrystone a "yeah, yeah, yeah" look, and looks at Artophanx, speaking in Terran. "Artophanx, I am Owbar, the Whispering Thief. These are my companions. This is our first day in this cairn. I don't know from Mt. Boulderdash or or Nadroc or the Vaati. I believe that the days of your warden Nadroc are now only shadows in history unseen.

"You helped build this place? I have a little knowledge of such things, but I was ousted by jealous people before I could learn more of trade. I was wondering if you could 'talk shop' and show us the wonders (and dangers) of this tomb?"

[jmbrown]

Artophanx pays no mind to Owbar, leering angrily and grinding its fists at Adam. When Owbar finishes, Artophanx looks around as if discovering he's in a long abandoned tomb for the first time in his life. He rears back and lets out of a hearty laugh which sounds like someone cutting open a sack of sand.

"Huh... the walls speak to me. I've been asleep for thousands of years and the Wind Dukes of Aaqa have vanished from the multiverse leaving only their fetid remains behind in the dirt. You've forgotten yourself, Vaati, as you've forgotten the atrocities against my kind. HAHAAHAHA! How deliciously slaggin' ironic you come to rely on that which you oppressed.

I would have buried you six feet under the earth by now but only a Vaati can release me from the magical bonds they created. Promise me, Vaati! Give me your earth-pact! In exchange for what a millennia of time has robbed from you like a weed robs nutrients from the soil, you must free me from these bonds and redeem your contemptible self."

Artophanx "spits" in his hand (spewing forth dust and pebbles) and holds it out to Adam.

[Chrono22]

Adam looks at the hand, and looks at Owbar, and shrugs his shoulders helplessly.

D'oh! Got the names reversed.:smallsigh:

[lostsole31]

Owbar translates ...

[Chrono22]

"I don't really know what you're talking about, but ok."

Adam takes the egg-person's hand and gives it a rough shake. Recalling his first moments of awakening, he continues,

"I can sympathize with your anger, though. Being trapped inside such a small space for an eternity must have been maddening. I'll try to help you get out of here, but tell us about this place first."

[jmbrown]

"No try, Vaati. You do it or I pound you into the earth!" Artophanx makes a throat clearing sound like someone choking on rocks. "I am a proud warrior of Ogremoch, the grand and honorable elemental prince. We stood by the side of the majestic and mighty Miska the Wolf-Spider to destroy the tyrannical rule of the pitiful Wind Dukes of Aaqa and all the accursed Vaati and wind elementals who think their cloud cities above the earth are worth a damn. Feh! This was ages ago when humans walked on four hands and the earth was young and soft like fresh clay.

We were defeated on the fields of Pesh. I don't know the details but I'm assuming they employed a foul magic rod or staff because they quickly moved in that statue over there in the corner depicting one of the more insidious Wind Duke princes. Nadroc, a sink-hole son-of-a-nimbus architect, enslaved me and forced me to help build this tomb for Zosiel, some slag-headed warrior prince who I hope died more painfully than an ant in quicksand, har har! His workers rested in another chamber and even with my perfect skill and unmatched expertise, it took a decade of solid work to complete. Nadroc was always going on and on about the nature of stone and craftsmanship. AS IF YOU HAVE TO TALK TO A SLAGGIN' EARTH ELEMENTAL ABOUT STONEWORK!!! A DECADE OF DRUDGERY AND PAINFUL LESSONS BRAAAARGH!"

Artophanx hops up and down on his pillar spitting rocks in every random direction. "This tomb is false." This draws a gasp from Ash. "I'll give Nadroc credit. He let me design the traps and the walls tell me dozens of humans before you fell prey to them, har har! The real resting place of Zosiel is hidden behind a stone wall in the shape of an accursed Vaati face. Jokes on you, Vaati. I carved the brow too high, har har! You look like a total sink-hole on that wall ahahahahah! Nadroc didn't tell me how to access the inner tomb but he was real fond of rainbows, that slag headed faerie.

Ah, I feel the old magic wearing off me. My thanks, Vaati. I'll gift you with a painless death if I ever encounter you or your thrall in the future."

With that, Artophanx does a backflip into the stone wall and vanishes into it without a ripple.

Winslow
Bardic lore check. The creation myths are common among bards but few agree on the details. Thousands of years ago, elemental lords fought over the newly crafted Uerth. Ogremoch was an elemental lord of evil who commanded a legion of earth elementals. Miska the Wolf-Spider and the Wandering Dukes are familiar sounding names but only the most learned of scholars know the details.

[Chrono22]

Adam draws his sword. As many times as that creature threatened him with death, he can't help but take it seriously... if it plans some form of treachery, he'll be ready.
He walks back to the statue to get a good look at it.

"So here's what we know so far:
The chamber above was a false tomb, and the secret to accessing the real one has to do with rainbows. While you guys were travelling to the seekers lodge, I experimented a bit with this everburning torch and the lanterns. It magically lights them when it is passed through. I think we can assume the face he was referring to was the one that Cherrystone found earlier. So lighting all the torches somehow opens it... we need to find the last torch.
Furthermore, this place was built by a race (culture? nation?) called the Vaati, thousands of years ago. The Vaati enslaved elementals, and were somehow magically associated with air, I think, and for some reason disliked wolf spiders (a race of arachnophobes?). This tomb was built after the war was won by the Vaati, to honor a being named Zosiel."

[jmbrown]

Ash can barely contain her excitement. "Yes! I knew stealing that map from the Twilight dolts was a good idea! The stars never lie... at least, not to me they don't ho ho.

None of what that little guy said made any sense but I don't think they enslaved elementals indiscriminately. Artophanx referred to wind elementals as a whole distastefully. I'm guessing, like whisper gnomes are to gnomes, Vaati are an offshoot of elementals as a race... and you're one of them, Metal Man!

Still, this is super exciting! Stop standing around with your visor agape and lets begin searching this place high and low for that missing lantern!"

[Chrono22]

"Wait, wait. Hold it. You stole that document from the monks? You do realize that the last people to cross them were killed in their sleep. If they have any idea what secrets that star chart contained, they'll know you came here. They could have followed us here.
You dragged us down here under false pretenses. You have allowed your own selfishness to endanger us."

[jmbrown]

"False pretenses? Hardly. I liberated you from your cell. The stars spoke, told me of four outcasts and misfits rotting away in hell-on-earth. You should be grateful! In half a day's time we've found enough treasure to live comfortably for a decade. Who knows what lies further in the unmolested true tomb.

Besides, the monks were none the wiser. I sneaked in during their dusk ceremony, snatched the map, and plopped a decoy in its place. Xan Yae reads the stars, but Istus lives by the stars. I know what I'm doing... I think."

[UserClone]

"Which torch isn't yet lit?" asks Cherrystone.

Her face hardens as she turns to Ash.

"...and YOU. Hope you don't survive this, bitch. If you do, you'll have me and a very angry quaggoth to deal with, at the least."

She turns to find a way back up to the first floor.

[jmbrown]

"Go on, vent your steam. When we come out filthy rich and you buy your freedom, you'll be thanking me. Owbar, Mr. Fletcher -- help me search the area."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow tries to force a pained smile during the proceedings, but he has trouble processing all the information: the elemental's words, the familiar-sounding names, Ash's apparent larcenous streak... it was all a lot to take in.
"I think you may be off on a few points, Adam. Some of those names sounded vaguely familiar to me... I don't think the Vaati were afraid of wolf spiders per say, but Miska the Wolfspider is a fell name of legend. The specifics elude me, but he was a great and powerful being of evil, if I'm not mistaken. It seems we tread upon ground constructed in the aftermath of a great, ancient battle between dimensions. What this place is doing on the material plane is a mystery to me, though. Perhaps as a sort of 'elemental neutral ground?' In that case, why not put it on the Outlands, or its own demiplane?"
Winslow shrugs, his curiosity filling him from head to foot.
"Let us commence our search, then. We can try rotating that sarcophagus some more. It may lead to further secrets."

(Search check? [roll0] )

[Chrono22]

Adam will go ahead and search the room too. He'll take 10.

[lostsole31]

Owbar shrugs and smiles philosophically at the bickering over the map. "Listen, it was the monks' map. Then it was Ash's map. Then it was my map. Technically, it's still mine, but we are merely referring to it ... right? So let the Axe of Doom fall on me, call it the Passage of Life in a microcosm, and move on with things..."

Being a miner by trade, not a quick-to-loot adventurer, Owbar takes 20 to Search this area (26 total ... Winslow is no help).

[jmbrown]

Owbar scans the area while Winslow does some appraisals. The red metal pedestal is made from some completely alien material. It weighs a few hundred pounds but could fetch 450 orbs on the open market. The petrified wood rod/staff held by the statue has six grooves cut along the shaft suggesting seven segments. It slides out easily and has the same heft and length as a quarterstaff and masterfully crafted one at that.

Owbar finds a little closet with a latrine and hole. It's long empty and dry. The lever in the fountain/shower room is connected to the niche in the room's main pillar. It opens the niche, revealing a walk-in closet, and also lifts a giant pillar that was part of some ancient trap long destroyed. Underneath the pillar are the crushed bones of the poor fool who stole whatever was in the closet. The skeleton is wearing a very fine suit of chainmail armor and carries several tools that survived the trap.

-Three small statues; a grand palace, a slim spire with eight connected smaller towers of different heights, and a grand stadium. Owbar and Winslow appraise them to be worth 200 orbs each.

-Two carved sticks which are unmistakably wands.

-A pair of crystal lenses attached to a strap creating a pair of improptu goggles.

Thirty minutes of searching and this level has been scoured head to toe.

[Chrono22]

Adam pauses in front of the lever on the far wall. 'To pull or not to pull?'
He hesitantly reaches out and pulls it.

[jmbrown]

OOC: The lever opened the walk-in closet and raised the now-broken trap. Owbar determined it was benign so I just had him pull it to save time.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone checks all these items, including the pedestal, for magic using her detect magic spell. Then she asks, "Anyone mind if I hold onto the staff? I could use a decent weapon if I'm caught without any spells, and it'd also be a convenient stick to tie my sack to in case I wanted to drop it quickly. Of course, if someone else could make better use of it, that's fine."

Looking at the wands, she silently curses herself. Damn me. Why didn't I choose to learn identify when I had the chance?

[Chrono22]

"That's fine with me. Do you know how to use wands? They could come in handy later. The pedestal looks pretty heavy to try carrying around with us. Let's leave it here for now."
If no one plans to wear the fine chain mail shirt, I'll opt to carry it. I'm still a ways under my light load.
After everyone figures out how the treasure is going to be transported, Adam enters the tube and goes to the upper chamber.
Once the others have joined him, he'll try shifting the sarcophagus clockwise to test if it opens up any new passages.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow examines the wands and the goggles carefully. He places the goggles over his own eyes, seeing if his vision is altered in any appreciable way. After this experiment, he makes sure he is facing away from the group before flicking the wands and speaking nonsense words, trying to get them to work and figure out what spells they contain.
"Stand back everyone! Um... ala-kazam! Activate! Avada-kedavra! Expecto-patronum!"


Winslow will try to Use Magic Device these wands into action! If he rolls a nat. 1, not only does he fail to activate it, but he can't attempt to use the wand for 24 hours. The DC is 20 to activate a wand; if he succeeds, he'll have a +2 bonus to activate them on subsequent tries. If we can identify the spells that the wands cast, we can perhaps distribute them to more appropriate wielders.
So... here's some UMD checks!
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]

Looks like there's two successes there! His spellcraft check is likewise +7; hopefully he can identify the spells as they're cast; other people with Spellcraft should likewise have a stab at it.

[jmbrown]

The chainmail is magical. The goggles emit an aura of faint divination, one wand radiates an aura of faint divination and the other is of faint evocation. The basin with the nutrient-rich vomit-gravy radiates moderate conjuration and weighs about 200lbs (the same weight as the red pedestal which isn't magic).

30 minutes later

Ash herself will drag both the pedestal and gravy-basin to the main hall and pushes it in a corner. "This stuff doesn't look palatable but it's fresh for however many thousand years. It must be worth something to someone."

Adam pushes the dias one click clockwise (it only moves one space at a time), pointing the arrow at the green lantern tunnel. A loud, earth shattering rumble is heard as the capstone elevator rises up lopsided. The doors screech open as the elevator sinks slightly into the ground, threatening to give way.

"Well damn. The missing lantern might be down there but... who wants to test the elevator's strength?"

[jmbrown]

Flashback

Winslow dons the lenses and nearly doubles over in dizziness. The grant him ridiculous nearsightedness but everything within 5' of his face is magnified 5 times.

Winslow flicks one of the wands... and nothing happens. He intuitively knows he activated the wand, but there are no visible effects.

The other wand sends ripples through the air, strikes a workbench, and completely smashes every single item on it, sending shrapnel across the room. This is definitely a wand of shatter.

[Chrono22]

"Hmm. With all these heavy valuables, we'll need to come back with a cart."
...
"I have an idea, guys. Let's try pushing that block from earlier into this busted tube. If it can support the block, it should be able to support us."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow finishes fiddling around with the wands, and removes the goggles as well.
"Owbar, you might want to hang on to these magic lenses. They seem to improve one's close range vision, excellent for scrutinizing an area for minor details, or perhaps traps? As for the wands... well, this one definitely shatters things. It's an evocation spell, and I believe thanks to its sonic nature I should be able to activate it on command with ease. Cherrystone, I don't know if you've banned any particular school, but if you'd like the wand, it's yours. Otherwise, I'll hang on to it."

The sight of the elevator in a state of disrepair makes Winslow ill at ease.
"Owbar, perhaps now is a good time to break in those goggles? Maybe you can examine the contraption, and see what the problem is?"

(Winslow doesn't know Cherrystone is a sorcerer. Durr hurr hurr)

[jmbrown]

"Owbar, perhaps now is a good time to break in those goggles? Maybe you can examine the contraption, and see what the problem--"

SCREEEEEEEEEECHBOOOOOOM!!!!

The elevetar collapses completely, falls down the 20' chute, and crashes at the bottom. The sound of thousands of skittering legs echoes out the chute as a living pillar of beetles erupts from it.

Round 1


Ash: 7
Owbar: 15
Cherrystone: 9 (Watchful Spirit was used)
Adam: 21
Winslow: 10


R1I21: Adam is 30' away from a massive swarm of beetles.

[Chrono22]

Where is the party in relation to eachother?
If Adam is nearest to the shaft, he'll pour one of his pints of oil into the space in front of him, and draw his sword.
If he is not closest, he'll move (double move if necessary, and he's drawing his sword as he does so) and interpose himself between whoever is closest and the beetles.
As a swift action, he also enters the Iron Guard's Glare stance.

[jmbrown]

Everyone is clumped around the raised dias checking over equipment or, as was the case with Adam and Winslow, discussing who would descend first. Trying to bait the swarm would only get everyone else engulfed so the second option it is...

Adam double moves (he plopped the chainmail down by the other treasure earlier, otherwise he'd have a medium load and move at 15') and places himself at the edge of the swarm.

R1I15: Owbar is by the sarcophagus, 30' away from the swarm. Over the din of the skittering beetles he can hear something else echoing up the shaft... something strange like the combination of powerful legs scratching against stone and a twisted, inhuman tittering "hreehreehreehreehreehreehreehree"

[lostsole31]

"Uh," Owbar gulps, "I think their mother is coming, too!"

I take it that was the elevator that is our means of escape? or am I wrong? Is there a way to bag butt outta' here? If so, that's the way Owbar is going. Bugs freak him the hell out!!

[jmbrown]

OOC: Nobody went down the elevator. It collapsed about 20 seconds after activating and now a horde of insects is coming out.

Owbar runs like no one thought tiny little gnome legs could run.

R1I10: Winslow feels a gust of air as the person that was standing next to him speeds away like his britches were on fire.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"I think now's as good a time as ever to consolidate, and better equip ourselves! Discretion is the better half of valor, they say!"
Winslow says all of this very fast before making a beeline for the exit as well.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone takes off after them.

[jmbrown]

R1I8: The beetles move into Adam's space. He swings at them but it's futile; the thousands of beetles are simply too numerous to cause any real damage with a weapon. They crawl all over, biting and gnawing, inflicting 4 points of modified damage. Even worse, the beetles' mandibles drip with a potent acid inflicting an additional 1 point of acid damage.

R1I7: "The stars did not foresee this!" Ash moves 30' to the stairway of the main room, dropping her lantern and picking up the chain mail. "Run Adam!"

R1I5: The tittering sound down the tunnel grows louder. Launching itself from the tube and carefully avoiding the swarming beetles is a horrid monsters unlike any has seen before. It has six, spider-like legs tapering into sharp points. Its "body" is a single, large, grotesque eyeball covered in flaps of skin. Small holes in its body emits a tittering sound like that of a phlegmy, female laugh. "Hreehreehreehreehreehree!"

The creature moves again, gingerly avoiding the beetle swarm, and positions itself next to Adam. It rears up and threatens him with two of its sharp legs.

R2I21: Adam is completely swarmed by acidic beetles plus he's being threatened by this... thing. Everyone else has fled or is in the process of fleeing.

[Chrono22]

OOC Is the creature flanking me, or is it off to the side with the swarm in front of me?

[jmbrown]

OOC: Swarms can't threaten. The creature is outside the swarm but positioned so that if Adam withdraws, the creature will make an attack of opportunity.

[Chrono22]

The 5 damage Adam took went into his delayed damage pool. He has a +1 to attack and damage that persists until the end of his turn.
His next available maneuver is Crusader's Strike.
Adam knows he's been abandoned by his party... but escape may not be an option with this creature trapping him.
He swings out with his sword desperately,

"I entreat thy salvation, oh Pelor!"
[roll0] Damage [roll1]
confirmation, if necessary [roll2] Damage [roll3]
If hit: Adam is healed [roll4] damage (this applies to his delayed damage pool first- the remainder will apply to his hitpoint total).

Adam then five foot steps so that the creature is between him and the swarm.
Edit: Adam incurred 2 points of damage at the end of his turn, which places him at 7 hitpoints.

[jmbrown]

"The hell are you doing?! Run you hunk of junk!"

Adam scores a hit against the monster. It quivers as it rubs its grotesque body in the stain of its own blood. Its tittering grows louder as it revels in the pain.

R1I8: The beetles swarm Adam and the aberration. The beetles fail to penetrate his armor but he suffers 3 points of acid damage as it eats him away.

R1I7: "Idiot, idiot, idiot!" Ash drops the chainmail and charges the swarm, her sword flaring into flames as she does so. The weapon itself does nothing but the flames from her sword strike for 5 points of damage and ignite Adam's oil, dealing additional 2 points of damage to both the beetles and to Adam who's covered in burning insects. "Run, lunk head! I have one more power within me to possibly scatter these pests."

R1I6: The aberrant monster tactically withdraws from Adam, moving around him to avoid an AoO, and leaps down the elevator shaft.

R1I21: Adam...

[Chrono22]

Adam double moves to the entrance (40 ft), but keeps an eye on Ash.

[jmbrown]

R3I8: The beetles swarm down the shaft after the weaker (and not on fire) aberration.

R3I7: Ash moves and picks the chainmail back up again. "This baby's our ticket to fortune. Can't let it go for nothing."

End of Combat

Before the beetles decide to come up again for seconds, Ash beckons Adam to leave immediately. "The others probably ran back to the abandoned manor. It's only 10 minutes away." The aberration's tittering can be heard faintly and Ash takes off without another word.

---------

Where did Winslow, Cherrystone, and Owbar run off too? The abandoned miner's manor was a 10 minute walk away from the Cairn while Diamond Lake is an hour's walk.

[UserClone]

I'm just blindly following Owbar out of here.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow pants as he recovers his breath in the shadow of the abandoned manor. He is relieved to see Ash and Adam emerge from the cairn behind them.
"We are certainly lacking in some basic adventuring equipment, it would seem. How about we go remedy that, before returning to face the horrors within?"

(I'm all for selling our loot and buying some stuff back in Diamond Lake. Winslow would like to purchase some better light sources, and perhaps some alchemist fires. If we sell everything non-magic item of value, what's our total going to look like, and also, how do we wish to distribute the wealth?)

[jmbrown]

"You fools left behind the grand prize! This little puppy is our ticket to the big leagues."

Ash pats the prized magical chainmail. No one in Diamond Lake is capable of purchasing such a thing for its full price in gold but it could certainly be exchanged for the equivalent price of masterwork gear, scrolls, and potions. Tidwoad, a foul tempered gnome jeweler (who happened to be the instigator of Owbar's downfall and poverty), would buy the armbands and the three small statues. The only other treasures are the shatter wand, unidentified wand, and the magnifying goggles.

[Chrono22]

There is also the everburning torch, but we may need it to open up the real tomb.

Adam is falling apart. The acid beetles took their toll on his armor plating, and he's covered in burns. He turns to Ash as they arrive at the manor.

"Thank you for coming back for me. Your courage speaks for itself- whatever you may have said or not said before, I accept you as a friend and ally. I'm sorry I doubted you."

He coughs into a gauntlet (which is silly, since he doesn't breathe, and seems like an obvious attempt to emulate living creatures' mannerisms), and turns to the rest of the party.

"I believe if we had stood together as a group, we could have turned back the beetles and defeated the eldritch horror. I am disheartened that the rest of you left me to die. That monster cut off my escape, and without Ash's aid, I would surely have been overrun and consumed. I hope that we show more solidarity in the future."
...
Back to business... :smallbiggrin: I'm pretty sure we left the really heavy treasure (the pedestal and the slime-o-matic) back in the crypt. Adam has some vials of oil that can take out the beetles. I'm not saying we shouldn't get alchemist fires though, just that we have the means to defeat them now. If Adam lays the oil down in several spaces in the entrance corridor, he can then go bait the beetles into entering it. One readied action later, and the whole area would be alight with flame. Of course, this all assumes we take some time to rest. Adam needs some serious repairs to be done on his body. Assuming Adam makes the armor checks, how quickly can he repair himself? Would it be better for Adam to go to the dwarves? He might be able to pay some craftsmen to help repair him.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone thinks it could really pay off to spend the 100 gp on an identify for the wand. She also suggests that they not sell the staff/rod just yet, because of the odd place it was found, she feels that even though it is nonmagical, it may serve as a key of some sort.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow blushes slightly at Adam's condemnation of their behavior, but at least they were still alive.
"Well, to be perfectly fair, Adam... er, can you even die? You are a talking suit of armor. If untold centuries of apparent absence from the known world have not destroyed you, what says a carpet of beetles can?"
The halfling shrugs, before nodding to Ash.
"You'll note that I'm yet to criticize our good monk Ash in any way; I'd like to think I'm a pretty decent judge of character. Perhaps we can put all of this troubling business in the past, and accept the general idea that if we're going back to that place, we will pretty routinely be placed in mortal danger? Yes? Splendid! Let's spend our ill-gotten gains!"

[lostsole31]

"Say what you want," says Owbar, popping out from behind something in the abandoned manor. "You got the means to squash a thousand bugs with one smush of your bootheel, and flamer-lady can probably do her part, too. I got a pin. Sticking one bug at a time ain't doin' nothin' while I get gnawed and boiled alive!"

[UserClone]

With a deep breath and a sigh, Cherrystone approaches Ash. She extends her right hand to her, saying, "It looks like I owe you a debt of gratitude..."

Cherrystone's eyes drop to the ground for a moment's hesitation, and then return to meet those of Ash.

"...and an apology. I obviously was mistakenly judging your character. I still may not know who you really are, but it's obvious you can be counted on. You were there to save the life of my friend when even I, who count on him in my own time of need, shamefully abandoned him like a coward. No hard feelings?"

[jmbrown]

Ash blushes at the adoration. [color=red]"The initiation as a sword-mage of Istus involves studying a star map then drafting one by memory on a clear night with only a candle, drafting compass, and ruler by as an aid. Any variance from the official map, even by half a degree, results in a failure and expulsion from the monastery.

I failed... but it was my destiny to fail. My map was unique in that it spoke a message and the priests understood this. It wasn't my place to be locked away and secluded from the rest of the world. My destiny has led me here and to you and I can't leave until I see this finished... or die. I apologize for the deception but it was a necessary evil. It's not every day a stranger comes up to you and asks 'Will you risk life and limb leaving the safety of home for the vague promise of possible riches?'"

------------

Adam is an absolute wreck. He's never tried magical healing before and unsure if it would even work on him. He knows he can repair himself but it's a slow process (heal armorsmith check minus 15 every 8 hours). Owbar has minor burns but everyone else is healthy.

Owbar and Winslow have the best chance to barter for the goods. Tidwoad the gnome jeweler can buy the armband and statuettes but the chainmail would be better sold to Taggin who heads the general store. Taggin's a stoic, neutral businessman who doesn't ask questions and hold customer privacy above all else (much to the chagrin of the guards although even they respect him when they need some form of quasi-illegal compound). While no one in town can afford the true price the armor's probably worth, Taggin carries masterwork equipment and and other trade goods he can offer in exchange. There's a smelting house where armor work can be done and an alchemist lives in a tower there selling potions and scrolls.

[lostsole31]

My knowledge of things o' the earth, and Winslow's fetching bartering ability? Yah. Good times. Owbar follows his fellow sizeling to see what can be had.

[CockroachTeaParty]

So what should Winslow do? Should I make a series of Diplomacy checks? Bluff checks? Gather Information checks? Should we make a list of things we'd like to buy, or exchange? I can certainly think of a few things.

*Alchemist's fire, to take on that swarm. (20 gp each)
*Identify the other wand (110 gp casting service charge?)
*Upgrade to a MW chain shirt. (250 gp)
*Obtain a wand of Magic Stone, to make his sling better. (750 gp)
*Obtain a wand of Lesser Vigor or Cure Light Wounds for healing fun times (750 gp)
*Obtain a wand of Repair Light Damage for Adam (would we even know of this spell, or if it would even work? 750 gp)

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. What kind of numbers are we looking at, once everything's sold?

[Chrono22]

I'm currently broke, so I'll need to wait until Winslow and Owbar sell or trade some of the treasure before I can spend anything. With my cut I'll probably go to the smelting house and the alchemist to see what can be done about repairs. With the remainer- I'll probably get a mule and a cart. We'll need one to haul the heavier pieces of treasure back. It also probably wouldn't be a bad idea to acquire some shortspears.
Oh, and does anyone have any rope?

[jmbrown]

OOC: We'll deal with Tidwoad first since Taggin will be easier to barter with.

It's about 1400 when the party heads back into town. Most people are still working but the guards toss curious glances at Ash, carrying around a gleaming suit of armor, and Adam who's near death... er, destruction. No one has the nerve to say anything and several shady individuals play with the knives on their belts, contemplating whether or not it's safe to rob in daylight.

Tidwoad is a cantankerous gnome with beady eyes, a bristly goatee, and a perpetual rasp in his voice. The shop is meticulously organized and a display rack prominently features a row of gleaming gems. It's an illusion, and everyone knows it, as the real gems are kept in a secret vault likely trapped with various powerful traps. Tidwoad and several of the gnomish lodgers who work there cast nasty glances at Owbar as he enters.

"Hurhm. The foul one returns. Hurhm. I expected you to have died in a gutter somewhere. Hurhm. But you must be here to do business. Hurhm. Show me, what have you stolen today little thief?"

Tidwoad, and several of the gnome lodgers, were the instigators to Owbar's sudden poverty and outcast status. Winslow knows something or another about Owbar being an up-and-rising inventor but for what or why he was outcast so suddenly is unknown.

[lostsole31]

Owbar desperately wants a bow and basics like food, water, bedroll, etc.

Bartering/ haggling is Diplomacy, not Bluff. A high enough Bluff increases the former. I think that usage is in Races of Destiny ... but only comes out to 5% markoff, is opposed, and is only useful when things can be haggled.

Optionally, if jm allows it, we could get markers for listed amounts, allowing us to do what we want with our shares rather thanb LET you choose who gets what amount.

[jmbrown]

Tidwoad is a shrewd businessman. Unless bartered with, he offers only 50% of the appraised value for the armband and statuettes. This amounts to 50 orbs for the armband and 150 orbs per statuette.

Taggin is supremely interested in the magical chainmail. The middle aged man eyes it with much interest and has to stop himself several times from asking too many prying questions as it's against his policies. After charging for his assistant to identify it, he generously offers 60% of its value straight up, and there's no need to haggle as this is more than any other merchant would offer, which amounts to 655 orbs straight up (the cost of the identify spell is already factored in).

In a 5-way split, everyone receives 131 orbs from the sale of the chainmail (I'm not factoring in the other items for Tidwoad until people state their haggling intentions). Ash recommends everyone chip in 25 orbs to identify the wand and she readily offers her share to do so. She has no experience with sharing or dealing treasure and lets everyone argue over who wants to keep the wands, goggles, and everburning torch.

[UserClone]

"I should probably hang on to the torch, as I'm not particularly useful in combat, and when I am, I only need one hand free to cast a spell or use a wand."

Also, Cherrystone will pay 25 of her orbs from the sale of the armor to identify the wand.

Neither Charisma nor Dimplomacy has she, so she won't be haggling, but she'll at least attempt to assist those who do, by pointing out the risk to their lives undertaken in gleaning these items from where they found them.
[roll0] Edit: YAY, I'm useful!! :smallbiggrin:

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow nonchalantly approaches the counter, picking up one of the recovered armbands.
"Come now, Tidwoad my good gnome, surely a professional such as yourself can appreciate the history behind these treasures? Perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement..."

( Diplomacy check: [roll0] )

[Chrono22]

Adam displays the statues and finery with dramatic flare as Winslow describes the fine detail and artistic grace of each individual piece.
Diplomacy assist [roll0]

[lostsole31]

Owbar, who is overwhelmed by so much wealth at one time, is quite happy chipping in 25 orbs. "If it ain't too much to ask," he says, "those are some pretty snappy spectacles. 'n I'm the one to best use 'em. Of course, I'm assuming that we're wantin' to go back for some pest control, right?"

With his markers, Owbar has some shopping to do. He desperately needs some protection, now that he is (for a time being, at least) taking up a very dangerous profession. He is going to get a small set of studded leather (25 orbs). Some missile power would be nice, since he is far more agile than strong - and he's not really an expert with that sidearm and gets a small composite shortbow [Str +1] w/ 40 arrows (76 orbs total). For a mass of bugs (and pesky locks), he knows he'll need something that'll really make a splash, so he gets 3 vials of acid (30 orbs).

Then, we need some basic gear: backpack (2 orbs), bedroll (1 sp - don't remember the name), Belt Pouch (1 orb). So, we have ...

131 - 25 (group) =
106 orbs - 25 orbs (armor) =
81 orbs - 76 orbs (archery eqpmt) =
5 orbs - 3.1 orbs (basic gear) =
1.9 orbs remaining.

Let me know if that is sat or not.

[UserClone]

((How are you getting the bow and arrows at half price there, Hoss? A composite bow alone costs 75 orbs, plus another 75 for the +1 strength to damage, and the 1 gp per 20 arrows (total 2 more orbs) makes a total of 152 orbs for the archery kit alone. :smallconfused: However, if asked, Cherrystone wouldn't mind loaning him the other 76 gp, since she has cash to spare at the moment, though it may be wiser of her to purchase a scroll for her to learn a better (read: more beneficial for the circumstances) level 1 spell.))

[lostsole31]

Good call. For some reason I thought Small-sized weapons were half-price. But after reviewing I see it is same price but half-weight. Thanks for the reality check.

With his markers, Owbar has some shopping to do. He desperately needs some protection, now that he is (for a time being, at least) taking up a very dangerous profession. He is going to get a small set of studded leather (25 orbs). Also, the acid wasn't figured in my rundown, above, anyway. :smalleek:

Some missile power would be nice, since he is far more agile than strong - and he's not really an expert with that sidearm and gets a shortbow w/ 40 arrows (32 orbs total). For a mass of bugs (and pesky locks), he knows he'll need something that'll really make a splash, so he gets 3 vials of acid (30 orbs).

Then, we need some basic gear: backpack (2 orbs), bedroll (1 sp - don't remember the name), Belt Pouch (1 orb), Flint & Steel (1 orb), 50' silk rope (10 gp). So, we have ...

131 - 25 (group) =
106 orbs - 25 orbs (armor) =
81 orbs - 32 orbs (archery eqpmt) =
49 orbs - 30 orbs (acid) =
19 orbs - 14.1 orbs (basic gear) =
4.9 orbs remaining.

Let me know if that is sat or not.

[jmbrown]

Tidwoad buckles which is absolutely astounding. The wretched gnome has the greed of ten dwarves. He buys everything for 55% (wow!) totalling 550 orbs (which he generously totals out as 50 plates and 50 orbs). Ash splits up the cash again and everyone receives 10 plates and 10 orbs (110 gold total). 8 plates and 5 orbs as Ash takes 25 orbs to identify the wand.

The wand itself is a wand of unseen servant with 15 charges (Winslow couldn't determine the spell because, without knowing what it is, he couldn't order the servant to do anything). Taggin offers 115gp for it saying "I could use something like this around the house when the missus is feeling... under the weather." If everyone agrees to sell (and what adventurer needs an invisible maid?) you'll all receive an additional 23 orbs for the wand.

If Owbar wants to swap his bow for a composite one he can.

As for Adam, warforged can repair themselves with armorsmith - 15. Because Adam's craft bonus is +5, he effectively heals nothing if he takes 10. A skilled laborer can be hired for 8 nobles a day and, aiding the worker, he can effectively repair 5 points of damage per day.

[UserClone]

"I'm all for selling the wand...pity it was only that spell."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow is also somewhat disappointed with the wand.
"Pity. I'm not quite in the retiring mood yet, and that could have been useful around the house. Yes, let's sell it. You've been excellent to us, Tidwoad; could you point in the direction of a skilled alchemist?"

(I'm blowing 100 gp on 5 flasks of alchemist's fire. If anybody else would like one, holla, and Winslow will carry the rest.)

[UserClone]

((I'd be happy to carry one. I have a smashing Dex for throwing purposes, and my spell selection, insofar as I can remember it, is not heavily weighted towards combat spells. So I am happy to contribute my actions.:smallwink:))

[jmbrown]

OOC: Taggin purchased the wands. Tidwoad purchased the armbands and statuettes and he was very, very rude about it.

Once Owbar finishes his purchases and Adam states his intentions on repairing himself (the priests of Heironeous may see him if he seeks magical healing but the Cuthbertines will turn him away on principle) I'll update everyone's sheets. If Adam chooses to repair himself it'll take 2 days. Lodging in Diamond Lake varies from cheap to cheaper and all the quality you can expect from that.

[lostsole31]

I'll take the extra cash, not trade in for a composite bow (for now).

[jmbrown]

All shopping is said and done and it's about 1800. Adam can pay a laborer overtime to work for 12 consecutive hours, fully healing him and only costing 25 nobles. Ash purchases a new chain shirt, a sturdy chest, an average lock, and a replacement lantern from Taggin. "I bumped into the Governor-Mayor at the latrines behind the Emporium and convinced him to sell me the old lot where the run down manor is. Sold it for a song, he did. I'm renaming it Merivel Manor and I'm going to start renovating the place. If you need me in the morning I'll be squatting there.

Oh, yeah, you can dump any unwanted items in this chest. No good dungeon delving with ten pounds of coins on you."

[Chrono22]

Adam pitches in for the identify, and then spends 25 of his remaining 108 orbs on a thorough repair. With only 83 coins left, he spends the next morning doing some shopping.
He purchases:

A cart - 15 gp, 200 lbs
A mule - 8 gp
A barrel - 2 gp, 30 lbs
100 feet of hempen rope - 2 gp, 20 lbs
Shovel - 2 gp, 8 lbs
5 empty sacks - .5 gp, 2 lbs
Torches x 5 - .05 gp, 5 lbs
Flint and Steel - 1 gp, - lbs
Shortspears x 2 - 2 gp, 6 lbs

Adam keeps the flint and steel, the shortspears, and a single torch on his person. The rest is staying on the cart.
He has 4 plates, 7 orbs, 4 nobles, 5 commons remaining. He'll keep them in a pouch on his backpack.

I'm assuming we sold the other wand... and when Cherrystone suggests taking the everburning torch, Adam does relinquish it to her.

After getting the supplies and equipment he needs, he'll head to Merivel Manor.

[jmbrown]

((Adam has 25 more orbs than that because Ash deducted the identify cost from the sale of the figurines))

Work on Adam takes 16 hours and costs quite a hefty sum (hey, 5 orbs is hefty for the average man). The laborer is more than happy to work with adamantine and works tirelessly through the night. It's 1200 the next day when Adam is finished.

Back at the abandoned mining manor, now officially owned and called Merivel Manor, Ash is busy clearing out the weeds. "Wow, Adam. You look good as new. I read the stars last night and today is going to be a great day for robbing and slaying. If you need to dump some extra weight off, my chest is hidden under that bed of weeds by the poison oak bush. Do mind it, I don't want you scratching when we take care of those beetles."

Ash is ready to move out but first wants to discuss a plan with handling the beetles. "We left that nutrient basin and no doubt they're feasting on it. My abilities can damage them but I don't think I can handle it by myself."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow grins as he removes a small sack that clinks ominously. He removes a smooth, featureless black bottle, tightly corked.
"I purchased five of these little beauties for just the occasion, Ash. These are flasks of alchemist's fire. All we have to do is toss these right into the middle of that swarm, and once the glass shatters, the air ignites the substance within. A few of these should reduce the beetles to a carpet of ash. Cherrystone said she'd like to have one, and if anybody else would like to carry one, they're more than welcome to. We can coordinate our barrage and ideally repel the swarm in a matter of moments. Of course, not everyone is as good at throwing things as us halflings, but you just have to lob it in the general area of the swarm."
The halfling seems ready to return to the cairn once more, bobbing on the heels of his feet in excitement.

(Oh, Winslow also bought 2 more sling bullets, for 2 commons.)

[UserClone]

Do I still have time to retroactively purchase a scroll or two? If so, would anyone object to a couple more days' wait for Cherrystone to learn new spells? They could help fix up Merivel Manor in the meantime...

[Chrono22]

I think Ash's comment regarding the feeding basin was a not-so-subtle hint that the swarm will have recovered to its full strength in our absence. If the discovery channel is in any way accurate, we don't want to find out what happens when a swarm has an unlimited food source. In two days, it could become more than we could handle.
"Yes, those alchemist fires were a great idea. I'll be glad to end the interference of those pests."
To ash,
"So, you've decided to stay in Diamond Lake? What changed your mind?"

[UserClone]

Alright, well if there's no time left, Cherrystone will hang on to her wealth, except for a tanglefoot bag and two flasks of acid, and one of holy water.

[jmbrown]

((So Cherrystone leaves her coins in the chest? Unfortunately Cherrystone wouldn't be able to purchase scrolls either way because Allustan (smartest man in town) is out on business and he's the only wizard who actively scribes scrolls))

Moonday, 3

It's about 1400 when the group returns to the Cairn's entrance. It's a cloudy, chilly day with fierce winds that bite at exposed skin. An acrid smell emits from deep within the Cairn and the once pristine walls are pitted and burnt. Off to the side is a husk of chipped bones and melted flesh. Ash grimly says "Wolf."

Deeper into the Cairn, where the multicolored lights flicker from the glass lanterns, the sound of skittering is heard. "Make any preperations you need now before they know we're here. Let's do this."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Winslow licks his lips nervously, a flask of alchemist's fire in each hand.
"It's now or never. I'm ready!"

[lostsole31]

Owbar, likewise, has a vial of acid in each hand. "Guys, remember ... we can't throw this near friendlies. Fire or acid ... this stuff gets around. Remember how someone scorched Adam's armor yesterday."

Owbar will take point, 20' ahead of the party, moving stealthily.I'll let you roll. I am unsure of myself ... because I am a 'miner', and not a 'thief' (except to survive) or 'adventurer' quite yet.

[Chrono22]

Adam spreads the contents of 4 pints of oil across a ten-by-ten section of the ground (4 squares).

"Owbar, try to lead them back to this spot if you can. I'll be ready with a torch."

Adam lights the torch and waits (he's standing just beyond the oiled floor section). He has a readied action to use the torch when the swarm approaches to within ten feet of his space.

Adam left the mule and wagon just inside the entrance to the Cairn, so that they are facing outward. Until the threat of the beetles is dealt with, he doesn't want to bring it in any closer- but he also doesn't want to advertise for any bandits in the area. For now the cart can serve as a quick escape if things turn too nasty.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone wields her alchemist's fire in one hand with the torch, and a tanglefoot bag, in the other. ((her money is kept on her person. would it be possible to buy a potion belt or bandoleer to put all these flasks an vials on.))

[jmbrown]

Owbar reaches the short set of stairs leading down into the false tomb and adjacent to the former wolf den. From this vantage point he hears loud skittering and sees thousands of beetles feasting on the nutrient basin.

Surprise Round
I16: Owbar has a clear shot at a mass of beetles. They haven't sensed him yet but a few hundred beetles are slowly crawling his way and will reach him eventually.

[lostsole31]

Clear shot it is .... Owbar tosses a vial of acid at the beetles. He makes sure it is at a point 10' away so he doesn't get splashed himself.Grenade attack roll: [roll0]
Acid damage (in affected square) = [roll1] * 1.5 = 1 acid damage. Damn! :smallmad:
Splash damage to all adjacent areas = 1 * 1.5 = 1.5 = 1 (round down in D&D)Owbar then scrambles back 30 feet, saying, [surprise round means only an action, unless you give it to me]"They're slurping at the sludge!"

[jmbrown]

Owbar's action happens as described. A couple dozen beetles are dead and burnt but the entire mass forms not one but two swarms, each one large enough to totally consume a horse.


Owbar: 16
Cherrystone: 14
Adam: 8
Ash: 23
Winslow: 5


R1I23: Ash moves up 30' to interpose herself between Owbar and the acid beetles, her sword bursting with flame as it does. "Bring it on, bugs!"color]

R1I19: Owbar hears that inhuman tittering again [color=red]"Hreeheeheeheehee." A creature rushes out of the darkness of the wolf den, just beyond Owbar's vision. At first Owbar thinks it's a spider but there are only six sharp legs and instead of a body there's a single large bulbous eyes. Tiny runnels along its legs and "body" titter excitedly as it rears back. The monster threatens him and Ash.

R1I16: What the hell is this thing?! Whatever it is, it looks like it could puncture a lung in a single stab. Owbar can take a 5' step to flank with Ash.

[lostsole31]

Yes, indeed!

[jmbrown]

Owbar flanks the monster and stabs with his rapier, inflicting a good hit on its bulbous eye for a total of 7 points. The monster shivers in pain and begins dancing back and forth on its legs.

R1I14: Cherrystone is 20' away from Owbar and the monster.

[UserClone]

Cherrystone flings an Alchemist's fire at a mass of insects.

[roll0]
[roll1]*1.5=...1. at least whoever I accidentally burn with it won't get too badly hurt...:smalleek:

[jmbrown]

From her position, Cherrystone can't actually see the insects (they're down some stairs and only Ash and Owbar are by them). By sheer luck and the fact the beetles are amassed does she actually manage to land the flask near the beetles and splash them with some flames.

R1I8: Adam's turn. He's 20' from the aberration and more than 40' from the beetles which he can't see until he moves up to where Owbar and Ash are.