To Seek The Lost (No-Magic 1)

[appending_doom]

Linden was once prosperous, the center of a near-empire, evidence of the arcane and divine power lurking beneath found everywhere.

It is different now. Not only are the people poorer, and the Arcane College far less influential, a thousand years of degradation has laid waste to spells incorporated into the very fabric of the city. It was once said that Linden could not stand without the mages, and it seems the aphorism held more literal truth than most would assume.

The College still holds sway at the very center of the city, although it seems nearly deserted. Even with the call being sent across the known world, there don't seem to be that many people here.

Early morning brings with it several new arrivals; however, they are stopped at the base of the adamantine spire by a slender, graceful man dressed in heavy, ratty robes.

"The Lords of the College have decreed none shall enter alone," he announces when asked. "You must find your companions before you may try the Riddle of the Arcane."

[Strawberries]

Sayda

An apparently human woman makes way towards the bottom of the spire. She is tall, but doesn't appear very graceful. Sayda has chosen, for the occasion, to keep the face she grew up with, and as such is almost a carbon copy of her mother: green eyes and shoulder-lenght brown hair, kept in place by a headband. She prefers to appear this way, when not undercover, as this is the face she is most accostumed to.

Still awfully bumptious, for people without powers she thinks, when she hears the man's statement. Well, she is not alone. Technically. She knew that travelling with someone would have her advantages. Still, she takes a moment to look around at the other people gathered at the bottom of the steps, to get a feel of who the other possible applicants may be.

[Lans]

Aust
A Male Elf with blond hair and blue eyes He wears his hair cut short, and wears a green cape with his armor.

As he walks towards the entrance he announces.

"I didn't think so few would show. 2 Is does not make party"

[Frozen Messiah]

The Large Warforged made of black metal follows close behind Sayda with his shield already strapped to his arm. Bastion leans in very close to the man and inspects him. "I see. The times change, people are replaecd but the Academy keeps its ways." Bastion said condesendingly. Bastion then stood erect and scanned the area and the began speaking to his travelling companion. "It is a good thing that we came together, I have never been one for riddles, I love them but can never geuss them. Lady Sayda would you please aid me with your intellect." Bastion askes with his hands interlaced in front of him as if he were asking nobility.

[appending_doom]

It is still to early for there to be much of a crowd, but there are the odd onlooker watching the gathering of adventurers. The robed man watches the three approach before shrugging. "There is no riddle here. Not yet, at least. The Lords wish their supplicants to come in groups, as the Lords themselves do." He glances at the metal-and-wood man, as if he wants to speak further, but shuts his mouth again.

[Strawberries]

Sayda looks at the warforged, resisting the temptation to roll her eyes. She is accostumed by now to the quirks of her travelling companion, and she doesn't even bother correcting him on the "lady" thing anymore. When the man speaks, she turns to him again. "Supplicants". Now that's really not a nice word. she thinks, examining him.

"Well, that's three of us, for now. I hope that's enough for them" she continues, addressing the human who spoke "Unless some other people here want to enter with us." she adds, again looking over at the other assembled beings.

[vollmond]

Mirris

Having observed the exchange and coming to a decision, a feline figure steps out of the crowd and quickly moves to join the others. "I would join you," he mews quietly. He is wearing simple flowing clothes with no particular bulges. Over his shoulder is a stick with a plain sack tied to the end, which he lowers once he comes to rest near the group. His eyes flick from person to person, awaiting aany reaction.

[Ajadea]

"If you do not mind, I shall join you as well. Is a group of five enough to enter the college?" someone says from right behind the catfolk. A human girl, as tall as the elf walks up. She herself looks slightly elvish, with her piercing green eyes, angled features, and golden hair. Her expression is serious, but not grim. She smells vaguely of cinnamon. "My name is Kaya." She has a slight accent, speaking in soft, lilting tones, closer to the accent of an elf or celestial than any human.

[vollmond]

The catfolk assesses the new figure, then responds, "And you may call me Mirris." Mirris absently strokes one of the trinkets braided into his mane, then calls to the robed man at the door, "Will a party of five be granted entrance?"

[appending_doom]

"Granted?" the man laughs. "No one is 'granted' entrance - they must puzzle their way in. The mages of days past could have easily entered this tower, but to those of us without their magic...it is harder."

He gestures behind him to the tower, hundreds of feet tall and marred by few blemishes. Immediately, you can see that the ground floor is marked by a carving of a door -- it's impossible to say at first glance if it's an actual door. And sixty feet above the ground, there is a circular opening in the wall. Easy, as you imagine, for a mage to ascend. Less easy for you.

[Frozen Messiah]

Bastion grew impatient with this mans attitude towards those who have gathered there. {He has no right to talk to ME about what is the conduct of the Academy, his father was probably just born when I was in the academy} Bastion thought to himself as he heard the man boast and posture. "Hmph, I have seen enough of those who were liked by the Academy be "granted" passage into it's halls. No matter if you want to be difficult than give us your riddle so we maybe able to leave your presence and get on to actually aiding someone." Bastion says as he looms over the man

[Ajadea]

Kaya sighs and walks over to the carved door, running her hands over the stone, pressing firmly. "Either this door is truly a door, or we will need sixty feet of rope and a grappling hook." There was no point in arguing right now. Getting in took precedence over the argument with the gatekeeper.

[vollmond]

Mirris hefts his sack and looks up at the hole in the wall. "That should not be a problem, provided one of us has the arm to get a hook up there."

Why is Use Rope not a ninja class skill? *sigh*

[Lans]

Looks up at the tower, paces back and forth*sigh* Give me an hour or two and I'll get us in their. I really shouldn't have rested those 9 hours. I need to perform a ritual. It will take a minute or so

[Strawberries]

Sayda winces when Bastion starts to argue with the guardian. So much for keeping a low profile "Come on now, he is not worth it. Let's get a look to that door.". She walks over to where Kaya and Mirris are standing, taking a good look to the hole, and then the door.

"We'll keep that as a last resort" she says, briefly touching the grappling hook attached to her belt. "But I'd bet all those ex-mages did not jut heaved themself up on a rope when they lost their magic." she muses, circling around the carved door.


[roll0] to get a good look at the carved door
[roll1] to look for hidden mechanisms and the like

[vollmond]

Mirris looks back down from the hole. "I suppose that makes sense. Then again... perhaps they have some magic device to make it work?" Mirris pushes the thought from his mind and turns to take his own look at the ersatz door.

[roll0]
[roll1] +2 on Sayda's Search check if I hit DC10

[Frozen Messiah]

"You are right Lady Sayda, he is not worth mine our your time." bastion says as he trails behind her to the door. He then stands there and listens to everyones statements. "Lady Sayda your wisdom aids us in our venture, it would only make sense that the door would have been activated by magic. We must think clearly and patiently on this issue." bastion says as he looks at the door while trying to remember anything about it.

OOC: is there anyone left that we are waiting for?

[Ajadea]

"Admittedly, most ex-magi would not possess the strength to throw a grappling hook that far." Kaya says, continuing to trace the patterns on the door.


Aid another on Sayda's search check: [roll0], +2 on her Search result.
Perception: [roll1]

[appending_doom]

Sayda

Careful searching, with the aid of your companions, reveals that the ground floor is marked with a door. But it is made to swing out, and there are no catches or other knobs that could be used to open it, and the door is set firm against its frame.

It is made of adamantine, like the rest of the building, and you suspect enough force could knock it open.

But it seems infinitely more likely that the door is locked and barred by some internal mechanism -- a door that can't be opened except by magic fits with the attitude you've met here already.

Still, it is still a perfectly ordinary door, if a heavy, locked one.

[Strawberries]

"It's a door all right. There, look." Sayda points out the door frame to the others "With enough strenght, we'd probably open it. It's just that it's probably blocked from the inside. No knobs, y'see?"

OOC. appending_doom: no visible locks either, right?

[Frozen Messiah]

After waiting for the group to exhaust all of their ideas Bastion walks up to the door. "Stand aside, I will get us in..." Bastion says as he brings back his fist and slams it into the door.


Slam Damage:[roll0]

[Ajadea]

Kaya ducks out of the way when as the warforged punches the door. "I do not believe destroying their door is the best way to enter." she says to the warforged. "Someone inside could easily open it, but they refuse to open it for us. There may be another way, however."


What are the hinges made of?

[Frozen Messiah]

"Until a better option is presented I will proceed as I am. If there are people inside they will surely hear and open the door." Bastion says as he winds back for another swing at the door.


Damage: [roll0]

[appending_doom]

The warforged's strikes against the wall appear to do little; the door barely bears a scratch from his two blows.

If he gets through, it would take hours.

[Strawberries]

“Come now, that’s not the way to go” Sayda says. “And you’re giving me an headache. I’m sure there is a way in. A spell or something like that… but I can’t remember. I think I’ve heard something like it… let’s see” she mutters the last part with a faraway expression, as if trying to remember something.

[roll0] Since Arcana failed me, let’s see if she remembers something in local legends or stories on how people entered when the magic disappeared.

[Lans]

*continues drawing*

[vollmond]

While Aust is drawing, Mirris moves off to the side, trying to get a feel for the other faces of the tower.

If the tower is small enough to circle in 5 minutes or so, Mirris will do so, looking for any other features of interest. If not, he'll move off for a bit and come back. Going counter-clockwise around the tower.

[appending_doom]

Mirris

The tower proves itself to be, except for these entrances, an unmarred edifice of smooth adamantine.

[Ajadea]

Kaya sighs. "I don't suppose anyone feels like trying the grappling hook out? If, in the end, we achieve a working result, then I cannot imagine how the method we use to achieve such a result would matter."

[appending_doom]

Abruptly, as Aust completes his drawing, a flutter of doves explodes from mid-air, centered over the strange symbols he drew on the ground.

From them fades into existence a tall, pale-skinned elf with black feathers concealing his hair and dressed in a voluminous cloak of the heads of birds. He glances around him before allowing his black eyes to fall on Aust.

You are the one who have called upon me, the creature says. What do you demand of me, and what will I take in return? His speech comes with very little movement, and those closest can see the flash of black when he opens his mouth, revealing black teeth and tongue.

[Strawberries]

Sayda jerks backwards at the man's apparition, one hand on the shaft of her weapon. She doesn't say anything at the moment, however, waiting for Aust to answer.

[Ajadea]

Kaya jerks back and draws her sword in one fluid motion. "What are you, and what have you summoned here?" she says, voice startlingly calm and even for someone who seems to be rather shocked.


Knowledge (religion) [roll0] What is that elf thing?

EDIT: Whatever it is, it must have been either something I found very interesting or it must have been something that the archons thought I really needed to know about.

[appending_doom]

@Kaya

This appears to be Malphas, an elf said to have betrayed his people for the love of a drow who in turn betrayed him.

He, like other creatures, has been said to have departed from the realm of mortal or god, from which some creatures call them and bind them to themselves to gain some semblance of supernatural power from them.

The archons were divided as to the morality of such a thing, but even those who believed there was nothing wrong in it were clear that the art of binding such creatures is risky, at best.

This spectre is incapable of harming you, but you in turn are incapable of harming it. It will only react to the creature who summoned it through the drawing of its sign on the ground -- Aust, by all appearances.

[vollmond]

Mirris slips one clawed hand inside a fold of his tunic, but removes it, still empty, as the new arrival speaks.

[Lans]

Oh handsome and experianced Malphas I beseech you to lend me your power, so I may never be caught unawares

Binding check[roll0] vs dc 15

[Ajadea]

Kaya lowers her sword a fraction of an inch. A binder. Of all the people to come here...a binder. Honestly. She sighs, grimacing slightly at the overdecadent language. "I never will understand these idiots who somehow manage to believe that allowing a fraction of some spiritual abomination to possess them in exchange for fleeting power is in any way a good idea. It'd be far less risky to actually learn something of use." she mutters under her breath. She'd have to keep an eye on that elf. She never trusted binders.

[Lans]

"I order to find the magic that left we should understand the magic that remains" *summons dove* Sends it into window.

[appending_doom]

@Aust

The room is unremarkable, about 30 feet wide and made of smooth, dark stone. There are three doors set in the far side of the room, each made of heavy wood and with a humanoid skull nailed to them.

Above the doors are words graven into the stone:

PICK ONE

[Strawberries]

Sayda looks curiously at the bird flying. "How does it work?" she asks Aust "Can you see what it sees?"

[Lans]

"I can see through its eyes instead of my own, but the window leads to 3 doors which a dove can't open. 2 of the doors are booby trapped. Looks like were stuck trying to break open the door at floor level"

[Frozen Messiah]

"I can see through its eyes instead of my own, but the window leads to 3 doors which a dove can't open. 2 of the doors are booby trapped. Looks like were stuck trying to break open the door at floor level"

Bastion has been sitting looking straight at the door since the time when he was told to stop his way of getting in. The art of the mind was not his realm of expertise and he knw it so he let the others figure out the issue. At the sound of progress Bastion stands to his full height."Finally something that I am able to aid with. I apologize for not being able to aid in this first trial." Bastion says as he cracks his knuckles in anticipation

[Strawberries]

"Hmm...breaking open an adamantine door will take a lot of effort " Sayda seems thoughtful for a moment. "What about the grappling hook idea? Did you see something to which it could be secured?"

[appending_doom]

@the Dove

There are the skulls, if they're strong enough or nailed well enough to the doors.

Also, the knobs themselves, although it might be harder to get a grapple to latch on to them.

[Frozen Messiah]

"Hmm...breaking open an adamantine door will take a lot of effort " Sayda seems thoughtful for a moment. "What about the grappling hook idea? Did you see something to which it could be secured?"

Bastion ast there with a confused look on his face."Why doesn't this dove carry it into the window, if it is too heave than the rope may do just as well" bastion askes not understanding if this is possible or not because of his ignorance of any sort of magic.

[Ajadea]

"I doubt a dove could tie the rope to anything." Kaya points out. "Whatever it may be controlled by, it likely does not have the required coordination to tie anything to anything else."

[vollmond]

Mirris stands to the side, thinking furiously. A building featureless below 60 feet is not something he planned for, and he is cursing his lack of foresight. That dove won't be strong enough to lift a grappling hook, either.

[Lans]

Okay, if we get 5 15ft lengths of silk rope with a slip knot on one end, and a large knot on the other it should work out. It should be able to carry it and get a loop around something for the the first one.
For the rest its just a matter of getting the hoop onto the knot on the bottom

[Strawberries]

"That's not a bad idea, if we have enough rope. Here." Sayda takes a lenght of silk rope out from her backpack. "Do you want me to do the knots, or can you do them yourself?"

[Lans]

You better do it, I have little talent with rope.

[Strawberries]

"Very well. But we still need other rope if we want to get up there." Sayda says, working quickly to tie one end of the rope in a knot and the other in a hoop as Lans suggested.

[roll0]

[appending_doom]

Sayda appears to have tied a servicable loop.

[Lans]

Raven flys it to the window and loops the rope around something sturdy and then flys down for another length.

repeat until we get 60 feet of rope up there, then it drags the lengths over the edge.

[appending_doom]

The rope seems to be secured on the skull. Now only to see if the skull and door combination is strong enough to support people's weight.

[Ajadea]

Kaya watches with subdued interest as the others work to get the rope up through the window. "Do you believe the dove has done an acceptable job?"

[vollmond]

Mirris looks around and steps forward. "We'll soon find out. I would seem to be the smallest; I do not mind going first." Assuming no one quickly objects, he grabs the rope and clambers lithely up.

Assuming it counts as knotted rope, that's a DC 0 vs my +1 mod.
Mirris is 100 lbs; looks like that's the lowest, barring possibly the changeling.

[Strawberries]

Sayda stands back a bit, watching him climb.

OOC: I'm honestly not sure about how much would she weight (thinking about mass in relation to shapeshifting makes my head hurt :smalltongue:), but I'd say certainly more than 100 lb, which is 45 kg if I'm not mistaken (stupid non-metric system). Let's say her mass is 60kg, and call it a day. :smallwink:

[appending_doom]

The rope supports his weight, and he reaches the room relatively easily.

[vollmond]

Mirris leans back out over the others and signals that everything is fine, then ducks back in to confront the doors.

What can Mirris see? Can I tell which door is trapped?

[Strawberries]

"I guess I'm next, then" Sayda says, to noone in particular, givin an experimental tug to the rope before attempting the climb herself.

My use rope skill check modifier is +4, but I'll roll just in case [roll0]

[appending_doom]

Sayda climbs safely to the top.

The room is wide and largely bare, cut out of smooth stone. There are three wooden doors with no markings save the skulls attacked to each door, and the words scribed above them: "CHOOSE ONE."

[Strawberries]

"Everything's fine up here" Sayda shouts to the others, before turning to examine the room she is into, focusing to determine if the doors are trapped in any way, as Aust said.


[roll0] with an ispiration point
[roll1]

[appending_doom]

Sayda finds no traps on the doors. In fact, they seem to be unlocked.

[Ajadea]

Kaya watches as Mirris and Sayda ascend the rope. She gives it a few experimental tugs. "Do you think the rope will hold me and my full-plate at the same time?" she calls. Honestly, my armor and weaponry probably weigh more together than that catman does.

[Strawberries]

"It's silk rope, should be quite sturdy" Sayda answers "If you're worried, just take off your armor, let me heave it up here, and climb without it. By the way, this room seems clean. No traps that I can see."

[Ajadea]

"If you say it'll hold, I'll trust your judgement." Kaya says, beginning to climb up the rope. She stops a short distance above the ground, seeing if the rope will, in fact, hold her weight.

Take 10 with a -3 penalty (-5 Armor, +2 Str) for a result of 7. Kaya plus gear is 254 lbs.

[appending_doom]

Kaya makes it up without any incident.

[Lans]

Looks up at the top and down to the bottom sigh Starts climbing

[roll]1d20+2

[Frozen Messiah]

Bastion looks up at the rope. "I do believe that the rope shall not bear my wait. Once you are inside open the door for me and I shall join you." Bastion yells to the group as they climb the rope

[Lans]

Lets try this again[roll0]

[appending_doom]

No problems occur.

[Lans]

"Does any one have any ideas on how to get through the right door?"

[Strawberries]

"No traps, and they seem to be open. I am not even sure if there is a right and a wrong one" Sayda answers, taking a closer look without actually touching the doors.

[roll0] Are the skulls different n some way?

[appending_doom]

Careful inspection shows that the skulls are identical...but the doorknobs themselves have been worn by the ages, and one, the one on the left, appears to have been worn the most.

[Strawberries]

Sayda smirks to herself. "That one." she says confidently, pointing to the leftmost one.

[vollmond]

Mirris glances at Sayda calculatingly, then steps up to the indicated door and attempts to open it.

[Frozen Messiah]

"CAN MILADY OPEN THE DOOR, I WOULD MUCH LIKE TO CONTINUE PROTECTING YOU FROM THE DANGERS OF THE WORLD." Bastion yells at the group inside

[appending_doom]

The door swings open, and something strange happens on the tower's exterior.

The adamant wall begins to shift, and blocks emerge from the flat surface, forming stairs that spiral around the exterior and to the flat opening high above.

[Strawberries]

Sayda all but cringes at Bastion's yell - really, what was she thinking in traveling with that overprotective barbarian? "There. Done." she comments when she sees the stairs forming. "Hope you're happy."

[Frozen Messiah]

"Thank you Milady. I shall ascending these steps so as to make sure the area is that of use or not, if you wish to join me or have other ideas plaese tell me so I may be able to aid you in those efforts." Bastion says with a small bow of his head but his face unchanging

[Ajadea]

Kaya winces as the tower shifts. "Of course. A wizard will never do anything simply if it can be made more flashy and complicated." she mutters darkly. "So, what now?"

[Strawberries]

"Well, I'd say let's take a look". Sayda advances to the door that just opened, to catch a look on what's behind. "I'll check if there are nasty surprises, too."

[roll0]
[roll1]

[appending_doom]

There seem to be no particular problems in the hallway, which descends slightly, curving gently to the left.

[Strawberries]

"Everything seems clear." Sayda says, turning briefly to the others. "Nothing left to do but go ahead, it seems."

[Lans]

I send my dove a head of us to watch for any potential surprises.