World's Largest Dungeon; the Crawl

[Burnscar]

Your trek across the mountain was rudely interrupted by a giant lying across your trail. Investigation revealed a small tunnel behind him, and further delving revealed a system of caverns beneath.

You've been down here for a day now, and have come across a construction that is clearly manmade. You entered through a vertical rift in the southern side, and a similar slit exists on the western side of the immense 150 by 150 ft. room, hewn from impossibly regular white stone. The entry tunnel is clearly the result of some calamity; the white, seamless stone is cracked and broken, giving you a good look at it. The artificial white stone 'walls' lead of the room are thirty feet thick, before the natural stone of the mountain asserts itself.

The only feature aside from the rifts and damage is the twin featureless iron doors, one set in the northern walls where it meets the western, and another in the eastern wall where it meets the southern.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier thinks to himself about glory and high adventure and proving himself before plunging in.

[Yael]

It's been days, isn't it? Were Cassandra's thoughts while in that place. After going down the rift, and entering those ruins or temple, her joy popped up when she would step up and claim to everyone else, regardless if they were paying attention or not.

''Ruins! Perfect! Stay close, if this is some kind of temple or a dungeon, we need to be sure to do not trigger any sort of trap.'' Said closing to the other side of the room, trying to figure its architecture, and finally checking on for traps in the twin iron doors.Riven rolls for Search in the iron doors area. Her usual method is to place her backpack where they came from, or close to her allies, reducing her weight in case a trap pops out, and keeping it near her companions in case they have to run the opposite side from the entrance.

By the way, my search check will be too low, as I kinda forgot to add ranks in it... haha...

Search [roll0]

In case a trap is discovered (as if), I'll roll for Disable Device [roll1]

[Burnscar]

The doors are entirely featureless, except for an iron ring, presumably used to pull the door closed after you push it open - the hinges sit in the wrong place for it to open towards you.

[LordOfCain]

The doors are entirely featureless, except for an iron ring, presumably used to pull the door closed after you push it open - the hinges sit in the wrong place for it to open towards you.
Xavier begins to gradually push the door open, keeping a hand on his shapesand ranseur. He will also use his airstep sandals to fly to where he barely can go through the doors: i.e. to the highest point he can go and still go through.

[PeacefulOak]

Blasted stubborn tin can... Barack thinks to himself as he stomps into the room, leading his mule along. He takes a moment to take in the sheer size of this room before turning his attention to the antics of his companions.

"Oy, you! Don't just be yanking on strange doors before we even know if they're safe to touch! Do ya want to get blasted?" Barack shakes his head, and drops the reins for the mule next to the huge backpack. "Seriously, though. I have a perfectly good mule right here, why are you carrying around this blasted bag of inconvenience?"

That said, he concentrates for a moment and a fine suit of blood red full plate armour springs into being around him, fitting as though made specially for him. He scratches idly at the odd bump on his neck that hadn't been there before this morning, and turns to the Elan. "If things get rough, think you could keep a hand on Betsy here?" He pats the mule on the neck, assuming agreement before stomping over to the door currently being opened, his morning star at the ready.

[Burnscar]

Xavier Reflex [roll0]

Xavier pushes the door open. It is gradually swallowed by a vertical plane of white. Xavier tries to avoid getting his hand stuck in it, but just the tip of his finger passes through the plane, and is stuck. He can't pull his finger back out.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier Reflex [roll0]

Xavier pushes the door open. It is gradually swallowed by a vertical plane of white. Xavier tries to avoid getting his hand stuck in it, but just the tip of his finger passes through the plane, and is stuck. He can't pull his finger back out.Well... y'all coming? Xavier proceeds to completely enter.

[Burnscar]

Xavier passes through the white pane, and now stands in complete darkness.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier passes through the white pane, and now stands in complete darkness.

If only I could see in the dark. I call out to the people outside, "Anyone gotta torch?"

[Burnscar]

The people on the other side of the barrier hear nothing.

[Yael]

Riven picks up her backpack, and goes through the open doorway. It felt weird, but even so she would enter, better not be split.

[LordOfCain]

Riven picks up her backpack, and goes through the open doorway. It felt weird, but even so she would enter, better not be split.

Yay! Once she comes through, Xavier says "Ya gotta torch? Kinda can't see here..."

[Yael]

''Sure'' Riven opens one of her pouches and takes out a sunrod, which she snaps so it turns on into green light.
I'm using a sunrod. It glows for an hour, but shines like a torch.

What can we see in the room?

[LordOfCain]

''Sure'' Riven opens one of her pouches and takes out a sunrod, which she snaps so it turns on into green light.
I'm using a sunrod. It glows for an hour, but shines like a torch.

What can we see in the room?

Finally I can see! But what do I see?Someone did have a light!!!

[PeacefulOak]

With a sigh, Barack walks over and gather's up the mule's lead-rope.

"So much for the careful approach," he grumps as he pulls the mule forward. "Lets just walk through the mysterious white door, now!" The burly dwarf stomps through the door, dragging his mule behind him. Once through, he narrows his eyes against the sudden light, and looks around.

[Burnscar]

Riven strikes the sunrod against the wall, and it ignites with a hiss and a flash. You're standing in what appears to be the southern end of 35ft. wide corridor, running north and disappearing beyond the edge of Riven's light. The sourthern wall is of the same white seamless stone as the previous room, while the rest of the complex, the floor, walls and cieling, is tiled in grey. The ceiling sits merely fifteen feet off the floor, which, coupled with the otherwise spacious dimensions of the room, makes it seem cramped, yet dwarfing you in scale at the same time.

More interesting is the two doors on the opposing wall. One sits five feet north of the southern wall, while another is thirty feet north. This door is made from a single piece of stone, with an iron ring for a handle, just like the other one, but it has an intricately carved doorframe, with beautiful runes arranged in pleasant, flowing patterns.

Behind you sits the same white pane you passed through, with the steel door partially poking through.

You can see further, and can tell that the western wall of this room falls away some 80ft. to the north of you. The corridor is probably an inverse L shape. You see no more doors in the corridor than the two mentioned above.

There's multiple creatures north of you. You can tell by the sound of their breathing.
They're beyond the edge of your darkvision.

Sunrods give 30ft. of light, and 60ft. of shadowy light.

[LordOfCain]

Riven strikes the sunrod against the wall, and it ignites with a hiss and a flash. You're standing in what appears to be the southern end of 35ft. wide corridor, running north and disappearing beyond the edge of Riven's light. The sourthern wall is of the same white seamless stone as the previous room, while the rest of the complex, the floor, walls and cieling, is tiled in grey. The ceiling sits merely fifteen feet off the floor, which, coupled with the otherwise spacious dimensions of the room, makes it seem cramped, yet dwarfing you in scale at the same time.

More interesting is the two doors on the opposing wall. One sits five feet north of the southern wall, while another is thirty feet north. This door is made from a single piece of stone, with an iron ring for a handle, just like the other one, but it has an intricately carved doorframe, with beautiful runes arranged in pleasant, flowing patterns.

Behind you sits the same white pane you passed through, with the steel door partially poking through.

You can see further, and can tell that the western wall of this room falls away some 80ft. to the north of you. The corridor is probably an inverse L shape. You see no more doors in the corridor than the two mentioned above.

There's multiple creatures north of you. You can tell by the sound of their breathing.
They're beyond the edge of your darkvision.

Sunrods give 30ft. of light, and 60ft. of shadowy light.
Listen Check: [roll0] Well, I can't hear anything.
One of these days my ears will work.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack takes in the sight of the wide hallway and the doors, then turns on Xavier.

"Lad, I agreed to come here as it met my needs, and I saw your excitement on being here. Keep it in control, though. I don't want us being killed on account of your excitement." He turns and walks to the wall, leaving Betsy standing to one side of the strange white door. Pacing back, he attempts to stick his head back through the white door to call to his companion.

[LordOfCain]

Barack takes in the sight of the wide hallway and the doors, then turns on Xavier.

"Lad, I agreed to come here as it met my needs, and I saw your excitement on being here. Keep it in control, though. I don't want us being killed on account of your excitement." He turns and walks to the wall, leaving Betsy standing to one side of the strange white door. Pacing back, he attempts to stick his head back through the white door to call to his companion.

"Sorry, I wasn't really thinking. So many possibilities you know. And I don't think anyone can hear you through there and I know you can't pass back through."

[Burnscar]

Barack's head impacts jarringly on the white pane - it is entirely unbudging. He can't put anything through it from this side. A pull on the mule's lead brings it through, however.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack shakes his head, the heavy helmet ringing softly from the impact with the barrier.

"Blast and damn, that hurt! Where is that old man, I told him to put his pack on Betsy here!"

Barack turns a wary eye to the hallway and the doors. "Riven, why don't you do your trick and make sure these doors are safe to open, so we can move forward. Back certainly doesn't seem to be an option! Meanwhile, I'll take a look down and around the corner, make sure there isn't anything lurking."

Barack moves off towards the North, staying near the western wall (away from the doors). He is not particularly quiet in his full plate armor.

[LordOfCain]

Barack shakes his head, the heavy helmet ringing softly from the impact with the barrier.

"Blast and damn, that hurt! Where is that old man, I told him to put his pack on Betsy here!"

Barack turns a wary eye to the hallway and the doors. "Riven, why don't you do your trick and make sure these doors are safe to open, so we can move forward. Back certainly doesn't seem to be an option! Meanwhile, I'll take a look down and around the corner, make sure there isn't anything lurking."

Barack moves off towards the North, staying near the western wall (away from the doors). He is not particularly quiet in his full plate armor.
Xavier chuckles quietly before following Riven if she moves any.

[J-H]

Maximov

Maximov moves to the middle of the room, staying behind the trap-springer. "Well, this is odd. I think we're stuck here."

[PeacefulOak]

Barack turns and calls softly back as he moves towards the corner. "Maximov, put that enormous bag of yours on Betsy! She can take it, and you'll be less likely to lag behind."

[Yael]

Riven walks slowly towards the hallway. She draws her longsword before taking any step. ''Be ready, this is hostile territory.'' Next she throws the sunrod to the hallway, so she can illuminate before stepping in, in the direction of the doors.
Riven throws the sunrod up to 15 ft with an increment of 5 ft. though she does not need the full range, so she'll just throw it the closes she can within the doors. It illuminates as Burnscar spoiled before, at 30 ft., and 60 shadowy after.

Throw roll [roll0]

Spot check afterwards (if allowed).
[roll1]

[LordOfCain]

Riven walks slowly towards the hallway. She draws her longsword before taking any step. ''Be ready, this is hostile territory.'' Next she throws the sunrod to the hallway, so she can illuminate before stepping in, in the direction of the doors.
Riven throws the sunrod up to 15 ft with an increment of 5 ft. though she does not need the full range, so she'll just throw it the closes she can within the doors. It illuminates as Burnscar spoiled before, at 30 ft., and 60 shadowy after.

Throw roll [roll0]

Spot check afterwards (if allowed).
[roll1]
Xavier is still shortly behind Riven. He will also make a spot check. [roll0]
So I can't hear OR see....

[Burnscar]

Careful investigation of the hallway reveals a 90 degree bend west after 75 feet. Down the bend, you note doors in similar position as those behind you.

What's more interesting is the trio of orcs resting in the very north-eastern corner of the hallway. Two are lying down, while another is leaning against the wall. They appear quite exhausted, and track you wearily with their eyes.

The corridor makes for an 'L' shape, rotated 180 degrees. Both "branches" of the L are 75ft. long.

[LordOfCain]

Careful investigation of the hallway reveals a 90 degree bend west after 75 feet. Down the bend, you note doors in similar position as those behind you.

What's more interesting is the trio of orcs resting in the very north-eastern corner of the hallway. Two are lying down, while another is leaning against the wall. They appear quite exhausted, and track you wearily with their eyes.

The corridor makes for an 'L' shape, rotated 180 degrees. Both "branches" of the L are 75ft. long.
I whisper to Riven: "Potential allies or practice dummies?"

[J-H]

Maximov clanks up closer to the entrance to the tunnel the others are in and lights a candle, holding it in one hand while keeping his tower shield between himself and any danger.

[PeacefulOak]

"Hey green skins! What are you doing here? I hope you don't mean any trouble..." Barack lifts his morningstar threateningly.

[roll0] Intimidate

[LordOfCain]

"Hey green skins! What are you doing here? I hope you don't mean any trouble..." Barack lifts his morningstar threateningly.

[roll0] Intimidate

So that's practice dummies?

[Yael]

Riven tries not to look at the orcs with despice and hatred. Her past involved a tragic event regarding Orcs, and even if those are totally unrelated to the beasts back home, and Cassandra understands this, she just doesn't bother with the humanoids, ignoritg Barack's comment onn the matter, but still keeps alert on them.

Riven rolls for sense motive at the orcs, trying to detect hostility in them.

[roll0]

[Yael]

Yay! High raw roll!

[Burnscar]

One of them bards his teeth at Barack, and there's some half-hearted saber rustling. They don't appear inclined to get up or respond, however.

Riven is convinced that these orcs have given up on life entirely. They'll sit here until they die, and won't fight you unless you force the issue.

[LordOfCain]

Do they seem to have anything of value? Spot Check: [roll0]

[Burnscar]

They're wearing hides, and have broad, single-edged swords. They also each have a backpack, carrysack or similar.

[LordOfCain]

You said there were three? Xavier walks up to them and tries to *shnick* them with his Steel Wind strike.
Attacks:
[roll0] & [roll1]

[Burnscar]

They get up as you approach, holding their weapons at the ready.

you're not getting a surprise round in this situation. I'll roll initiative and set up a battlemap when I get home, please everyone refrain from posting in the IC until then.

[Burnscar]

Xavier strides forward, polearm in hand. The orcs respond sluggishly to his obvious threat, grasping their falchions.

Two of them move into melee and swing, while another hangs back, falchion in hand and a watchful gaze on the rest of the party.



Orc 1 vs flatfooted Xavier: [roll0], [roll1]
Orc 1 vs flatfooted Xavier: [roll2], [roll3]

Map. You can move your own stuff around. (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1E8HVYCugmNer8cqqMXW0VQpli6uXHhKNu9--0w2YMj8/edit?usp=sharing)

Now it is the party's turn. Go!

[J-H]

Maximov

The flame seems to leap from the candle with a whooshing noise, flying through the air to the central orc. Maximov hides behind his tower shield as he concentrates.

Manifesting Control Flames (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/controlFlames.htm), 1 pp.
The fire moves into the central orc's space. Reflex DC 15 lets it dodge by moving out of its space per paragraph 3 - probably provoking an AOO in the process. If it fails, it takes 1 point of fire damage, and must take another Reflex save (DC15) or catch fire for 1d6 damage per round ([roll0] this round).

The same occurs again at the beginning of my next turn if the orc is still in the space.

Using the tower shield for total cover.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack gasps in shock as his companion steps forward, sand billowing out to form a wicked polearm. His shock makes him hesitate, and he watches as Xavier is cut down. Bellowing angrily, he stomps forward and plants his feet, bringing his morningstar down in a vicious arc towards the orc whose blade dripped with Xavier's blood.

[roll0] to hit for [roll1] damage

Barack glares at the hesitating orc, snarling "Don't even think about it."

[Burnscar]

The orc fails to avoid the fire, and is struck down by Barack.

[Yael]

Riven hastes to action. But drops her backpack, first. She then closes to the wall, trying to attack from the side one of the orcs with her longsword as soon as she can.

Riven drops her backpack as a move action, then closes as her second move action to the wall.

Map updated

[Burnscar]

The orcs growl, and pounce on the immediately available foes. Their swings are heavy, and they're clearly tired, but that doesn't make them much less deadly for all that.

Barack takes a deep cut across his chest.

Orc vs Barack: [roll0], [roll1]
Orc vs Riven: [roll2], [roll3]

[PeacefulOak]

"I warned you, fool!"

Barack wrenches the spikes of his morning star from the skull of the felled orc, batting aside the swinging falchion and swinging back hard across.

[roll0] to attack for (damage rolled in OOC thread due to typo)

[J-H]

Maximov
Hiding behind his shield, Maximov silently moves the flame to the eastern orc.

The fire moves into the eastern orc's space. Reflex DC 15 lets it dodge by moving out of its space - probably provoking an AOO in the process. If it fails, it takes 1 point of fire damage, and must take another Reflex save (DC15) or catch fire for 1d6 damage per round [roll0] this round).

The same occurs again at the beginning of my next turn if the orc is still in the space.

Concentrating on spell as a move action
Using the tower shield for total cover as a standard action.

[Yael]

Riven dodges the attack so it hits her armor, then swiftly dashes to her right to have the wall at her back.

She clears her mind of doubt, and strikes true with both her hands! ''Rrryah!''
Inspiration Pool: 2/3

Five-foot step to the square adjacent (up) to Riven.
Ex: Cunning Insight. Riven is using one point of inspiration to add a +Int competence bonus to her attack roll against the orc (+3 bonus).

Attack on the Orc: [roll0]
Damage on the Orc: [roll1]

[Burnscar]

Barack strikes down a second orc. The other one adroitly avoids both the fire and Riven's cut, before swinging his falchion at Riven.

Riven AoO: , [roll1]

Falchion(except not if he's dead, ofc.): [roll2], [roll3]

Riven recieves a staggering hit with the blade.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack bellows a wordless roar and charges at the remaining orc, swinging his morningstar in a savage underhanded cut.

[roll0] (the extra +2 is for charging), for [roll1]

[J-H]

The fire follows the orc, harrying it as it duels with Riven.

The fire moves into the eastern orc's new space. Reflex DC 15 lets it dodge by moving out of its space - probably provoking an AOO in the process. If it fails, it takes 1 point of fire damage, and must take another Reflex save (DC15) or catch fire for 1d6 damage per round (1d6)[4] this round).

The same occurs again at the beginning of my next turn if the orc is still in the space.

Concentrating on spell as a standard action

[Burnscar]

The Orc avoids the fire, but that makes an opening for Riven and Barack.

AoO Barack: [roll0], [roll1]
AoO Riven: [roll2], [roll3]

The pair of them handily kill the Orc.

[J-H]

Maximov
Seeing the three orcs felled, Maximov drops his tower shield with a grunt; the flame zips back across the room to the wick of his candle.
CLANK

He steps over to Xavier and channels power through an outstretched hand.

Touch of Health, 3pp to heal 6hp damage. Should bring him to standing at 1 or 2hp.


"Don't let them catch you so unaware next time!

I wonder if they were carrying any healing potions or other useful items?"

Maximov retrieves his shield and re-readies it in one hand; he's still holding the candle in the other hand while the others search the bodies.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

Barack spits on the corpse of the orc nearest him. "I told you not to threaten us." He rounds on Xavier as he starts to come awake. "Blasted fool with your blasted sand! I agreed to take you up the damned mountain not to see you butchered by your eagerness, but to reap the rewards of this blasted dungeon! Today, I am your shield. Stay behind me, make your big sand stick, and poke them over my blasted head!"

Barack whips the his morning star back and forth, sending strings of blood and gore through the air, before hanging it on his belt and kneeling to rifle through the possessions of the felled orcs.

[Burnscar]

The orcs' primary belongings appear to be their falchions. That said, they have a bunch of stuff - of most interest is perhaps their waterskins, containing a bitter, slightly alcoholic drink, and the slices of meat in their satchels.

Full List of Gear:
3 Falchions
3 studded leather armors
3 peasant's outfits
1 throwing axe
1 dagger
1 masterwork dagger
1 sack
1 winter blanket
2 backpacks
2 six-sided dice
1 copper mug
12 days worth of rations, cured meat (From boar, you're pretty sure)
3 waterskins, containing stale orc beer
1 empty tin flask with a cork stopper

[LordOfCain]

"Okay, sheesh. By all rights I should have skewered them though..." Xavier takes the six sided dice.

[Burnscar]

You strip the orcs naked, and strap everything onto the mule. That takes some time, but leaves you with the question: What now?

[LordOfCain]

Xavier, once he is in the positives, will say "I suggest we try to rest here for the... night and recuperate from that scuffle."

[Yael]

Cassandra rests her back against the wall and gently slides to the floor. She is wounded, but that's easily treatable, at least until they can get proper care. She applies first aid, and her wound stops bleeding.

''Just give me a minute, or two.'' She says. ''How's Xavier?'' She asks afterwards.

Riven will not actually heal hp.

After she gets up, she'll strap her backpack onto the mule, so she can be free of weight next combat. She pets it if the animal likes that.

[LordOfCain]

Is it Cassandra or Riven? Last name? Feel like I missed something...

[PeacefulOak]

"Maximov, that flame of yours was truly amazing, and harrying the enemies was a strong tactic. How much can you heal our injured fellows and still be able to do that again?"

Barack finishes loading all the gear onto Betsy, and turns to Riven. "Bravely fought, lass! Next time, though... leave the up close work to me and use that bow of yours to keep em off my back without putting yourself in the frontline." He shakes his head. "Anything you can tell about these doors, lass?"

[Yael]

''I'm not that weak, Barack. I was just careless, should've acted sooner and sharper. But still, I'll try to fight properly to my abilities.''

Riven says with a smile to the dwarf as she picks up her light source and walks towards one of the next corridor doors, and examines the door carefully. If we fought orcs here, there are probably more of them lurking around. Though they were demoralized, maybe they were lost? Are her thoughts as she closes to the door, carefully, and tries to check for it. First, she tries to hear through it, then she tries to spot a lock and check if it is locked, before trying to open it in any way. Then, she searches for any trap directly tied to the door's mechanism.

If there's no problem in doing multiple actions, Riven closes to the closest door after the L turn.

First, she listens at it.
Listen check. [roll0]

If there's no response, she searches for it.
Search check. [roll1]

Riven stands back and alerts her companions of the presence of the trap, so they can decide if risk to open it or to avoid it for now.

No Disable Device attempt for now.If nothing is found, she proceeds to attempt to open the door slowly to not cause noise.
If the door is made of iron, stone, or any other material, she rolls for Strength [roll2] to open it.
If the door is wooden or easy to open, she attempts it at Move Silently [roll3] instead.Riven will try to Open Lock it [roll4]
If the door opens, Cassandra will slowly take a peek inside. [roll5] If the room is dark, she'll illuminate it with the sunrod. If it is a large room with no signs of hostile enemies, she'll throw the sunrod 15 ft. inside to have a better view of the room.

Under any circumstance, Riven will enter by herself.

[J-H]

Maximov

"Barely any. I've half-expended my reserves for the entire day, and I don't think it's safe to overdo it. Those orcs would hardly have been resting in such a vulnerable location if a lockable room was just around the corner!"

[PeacefulOak]

Barack chuckles. "Whether we rest now or push on, they still need healing. Pushing on will give us knowledge of one more room, and even if that room has two doors that's still four doors less than this bloodied hallway has."

"No offence meant, lass. I just want to see us all through this place."

[LordOfCain]

"Wise words, but what if that room is the nexus of several hallways and entering it causes us to become less secure?

[Burnscar]

There are three doors in the upper branch of the L. One is featureless, made from steel, and sits on the southern wall, at the very end of the corridor. It corresponds to the door from the very first room.

Two sit on the northern wall - both are made from stone, with a metal ring for a handle. One is directly across from the steel door, while another is closer to you; this is the one Riven is investigating.

She does not hear anything, but when she puts her ear to the crack at the bottom of the door - unlike the steel doors, the stone doors are not an airtight fit - she catches a vift of a sour smell.

She finds no traps on the door, but when she touches it to push it open, a gout of flame erupts, burning her.

[roll0] fire damage
Reflex DC 11 Half: [roll1]

The door swings inward, revealing a square room, 25 by 25ft. The door sits on in the center of the southern wall, and another door to the north mirrors it. The room itself contains several mold-covered sacks in all four corners.

[J-H]

Maximov
(following behind Riven at a safe distance of about 30')
"Ouch! Maybe we should use a pole or something to open the door next time. I don't trust those sacks."

[Burnscar]

Riven collapses on the ground, bleeding heavily.

She's at -1 hp.

[J-H]

Maximov
Maximov moves up to Riven and heals her slightly.

Touch of Health putting her at +1

[PeacefulOak]

Barack, standing close to Riven when she opened the door, concentrates for a moment and in a blur their positions are reversed. Now standing in front of the door he peers in, taking a few steps carefully to the centre of the room.

"These sacks worry me. Max, if you've still got any juice left be ready with a flame. Xavier, can I borrow your sand for a moment? I need a really long stick."

[roll0] Spot check

[Yael]

Riven grasps when she is revitalized. ''Ugh... Trapped.'' She reincorporates herself. ''Just for you to know.'' She jokes and stands up. ''Staying in the past room seems a legit idea. We just need to barricate it, so nothing enters.'' She says as she closes the trapped door.

[Burnscar]

Riven closes the door behind Barack. He is now standing alone in the darkness. Luckily, he has darkvision.

[Yael]

''Where's Barack?''

[PeacefulOak]

"Wha... fools. Fine, I'll see what's going on myself."

Barack pulls out his rope and grappling hook and slings the hook into one of the piles of sacks, giving it a tug to see if I can rip open any of the bags.

[Burnscar]

Barack to hit: [roll0]

Barack lands the grappling hook nice and heavily, releasing a puff of air from the sack on top. When you start to reel in, you tear a hole in the sack, and it topples onto the ground, releasing a cloud of spores into the air.

You're standing in the center of the room, so you're caught in the 15ft. cloud of spores. Fortitude save and possible con damage in the OOC thread; I can't edit here.

Barack coughs heavily, but covers his nose and mouth, and is able to hold his breath through the worst of it, until the cloud has abated.

The contents of the sack is unrecogniseable as anything useful; the tatters and strings on the floor could be old grains, or long-forgotten cloth; by now, it's just a growing medium for the deadly mold and fungi.

[Burnscar]

The rest of the party hears heavy coughing emitting from inside the room.

[Yael]

''Oh, there you are.'' Riven says after she opens the door, hoping it won't spring again.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack coughs and sputters as the cloud of spores washes over him, but manages not to breathe it in too deeply. Hoping that the spores from that sack at least are expelled, he goes over and roots through that corner, looking to see if he finds anything of note.

[Burnscar]

Cassandra opens the door, luckily without incident, and the chamber is flooded with light.

Barack carefully investigates the pile, not touching anything. There's nothing of interest there.

However, his stone sense tingles, and he's fairly sure that there's a secret door on the eastern wall of the room. If he pushes in one particular spot, maybe it'll open?

[PeacefulOak]

Barack steps closer to the door he sensed, calling out over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the light! Saved yerselves a face full of spores. Still need some flame to burn through these sacks, make sure we don't make any mistakes in the morning! .... Oh, and I found a hidden door in the wall here."

Reaching out, he gently pushes on the wall (before anyone else comes into the room).

[Burnscar]

Barack gently pushes the wall, and it pivots on a central hinge, revealing the room beyond. The unmistakeable stench of death vafts from within, and the source is immediately obvious; more that twenty bodies is piled up here, a mix of small and medium-sized lizardmen. They're naked, and have evidently been put here at various times; the states of decay doesn't quite match.

The stench is quite overpowering - the rest of the party can even feel it out in the hallway.

The room itself is quite plain: 30ft. wide, 70ft. long, low cieling, with a door in the southern wall, leaving 10ft. of bare wall until the west-south corner.

[Yael]

''What's that! Ugh...!'' Riven covers her nose and mouth with her left hand (whereas she holds the sunrod with the right), and closes distance to Barack, illuminating the newly discoered hallway.

[J-H]

Maximov

"I'll burn the sacks soon. WHAT could be killing all those...lizard people? Whatever it is, I don't think we want to deal with it."

[LordOfCain]

"Ugh... Barack, you should try to see if that door can be opened from the inside. If so, we could move those corpses and hide in there!"

[Yael]

''Does anybody has a way to deal with the stench, though? I don't know if the mule will walk in with this smell...''

[PeacefulOak]

Barack takes a step back at the foul smell emanating from this door, before leaning in to peer around the corner, looking to see if there are any other exits from this room.

"Bodies left long enough will begin to smell, some of these seem to have been here for a while. Here, Riven look here is where you push to open the door. If you think it's worthwhile, I'll step in and close the door. Let me think..."

[roll0] Knowledge Religion
[roll1] Knowledge Arcana

Both rolls to see if anything about this layout says anything to me.

[LordOfCain]

"Even if the smell can't be fixed, if it can be opened from the inside, that's where I'm sleeping... can't be too safe..."

[Yael]

''Alright, let me check.'' Riven steps into the room. By now, she has already strap a piece of cloth and made a face mask on her nose and mouth. She takes out her tools and begins examining the area.

Knowledge (Dungeoneering) to see if I know about these kind of rooms inside dungeons, or its meaning. [roll0]
Disable Device check on the secret door. [roll1] Only to check if it can be opened from the inside, too. Not to tamper with it.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack steps in as well, moving past Riven to stand between her and the bodies. Taking a deep (and immediately regretted) breath, he moves closer to the corpses and looks to see what could have caused this procession of death.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier will begin to play with his shapesand: making it into a ball and tossing it back and forth.

[Burnscar]

Riven doubles over as she enters; the stench is overpowering in here. She throws up a little in her mouth, an involuntary reaction from the smell. Barack is better able to take it.

It seems it could indeed be opened from the inside - the door pivots around a central hinge, and it's equally easy to rotate in both directions. You do need to exert some force to turn it, but it is pretty well balanced. Barack, Xavier or Maximov when wearing his armor could easily make it turn just by leaning against the right section. There's also a section of rock that can be pressed on this side to release the locking mechanism.

That said, there's a perfectly good door on the southern wall of the room, so you're not entirely hidden in here, even with the secret door closed.

Barack notes that most of the dead lizardmen have long, deep, brutal cuts as their likely cause of death. It's not entirely uniform, there's a few stab wound in there, and one little lizard apparently had its head crushed with something big, but it's enough to make you think that someone did most of this with a blade of some sort, likely a two-handed one.

Barack isn't an expert in decay, but he thinks that whoever is dumping bodies in here must have been at it for a while; some are almost entirely decomposed, while others look relatively fresh.

Riven is sickened while she remains in the room, and for four rounds thereafter.

Edit: This is how the secret door works:
http://www.findmybrick.com/images/StainGlass.JPG

[PeacefulOak]

Barack stifles a hiccup, then burps loudly. "Faugh, what a stench. Still, after living with my brothers and their experiments, it's not all that bad. Looks like most of these lizard folk were murdered by someone or something using a heck of a big blade. I'm gonna take a look and see if there's anything worth finding here."

Barack begins to check the corpses, lifting and tossing each to the side as he finishes with it.

[Yael]

''It works, but the smell is just too much...!'' Riven says finally running out of the room to avoid the rotten stench.

[Burnscar]

Barack sets about moving the bodies around. It's dirty work, and unrewarding. He finds literally nothing; these people were stripped down before being thrown in here.

A few times, he tries to move one of the really badly decayed corpses, and they come apart with soft ripping noises instead of going where he wants to. Still, half an hour of searching through the piles later, he's satisfied that there's nothing but bodies here.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack ponders his strange determination to check all the bodies as he wipes his hands on a scrap of cloth, then chuckles.

I hope you're satisfied, Savnok.

"Alright, this room is foul and only getting fouler the more time passes. I'm going to take a walk around and look at the walls, see if there's any more hidden doors. Meantime, could someone please burn this bags? Make sure to keep your distance, they make a pretty big poof when they pop."

Barack walks around the room, looking at the stonework.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier will watch but not help until his help is truly needed. He asks "Is there any way we could barricade that other door?"

[Burnscar]

Barack's inspection of the stonework yields no further surprises.

[Yael]

After Riven's sickness passes off, she walks straight back to the mule to take out her waterskin and give it a gulp to try to wash out the bad taste in her mouth.

''Probably here will be safer.'' She points with her thumb backwards, pointing to the orcs. ''We can barricate the front door without exploring first. Also, this could or could not get lenghty so we should rest soon.'' She puts her waterskin away into the backpack. ''Can I take one of those weapons? They won't need them anymore.'' Refeering to one of the falchions.

[LordOfCain]

"I would like one too, would free up my shapesand for some more productive uses."

[PeacefulOak]

Barack stomps out of the room, past the sacks, and rejoins the party as they gather around Betsy.

"I don't have any problem with either of you using them, they don't do any good just weighing down Betsy! For me, I can't use them.... yet. For rest, I say we hunker down in the western end of this here hall. We know where these doors go, and if we keep watch we should be fine. I'll even take first watch, I'm fresh and ready to fight if we need."

[LordOfCain]

Xavier takes one of the falchions and shapes his shapesand into a backpack temporarily.

[J-H]

Maximov
"Staying here is a mistake. It's exactly what those orcs did. How about using that shapesand to open doors from a distance?"

[LordOfCain]

"Hm.... I would not be opposed to such a use of my shapesand....."
Maybe we could make longspoon thieves' tools from Complete Adventurer?
RIP that brief glorious time when the number of posts in the OoC thread was exactly twice the number of posts in the IC thread and both were perfectly divisible by 100.... :smallannoyed:

[LordOfCain]

So are we staying or going? I think thought the consensus is staying... My Key Points:

Low HP
Low HP
Low HP
LOW HP
LOW HIT POINTS
CRITICAL HITS

In Character: If we continue to press our luck, we may run out of it. I think that staying here and recuperating from our wounds would be best. Even a lucky blow could end my life, and, though I don't know about you, I like my heart still beating... :smalltongue:

[PeacefulOak]

"None of you have the stomach of a dwarf. I doubt anyone could get a restful sleep in there. Just ask Riven!" Barack claps her on the shoulder. "No, right here in this hallway seems the safest place. We'll keep watch, and make sure we all wake up."

[Yael]

''He's... Correct. I personally like my organs right where they are, so I'm not sleeping there. Maybe we could open one more door, or try to secure the ones we've been through...''

[PeacefulOak]

"Think of what's happened so far, lass. A bunch of orcs chopped up half of us, some trapped scorched you, some spores tried to fill my nostrils, and we found a fetid dumping ground for some lizard hating maniac with a big blade. Until you and Xavier are up to strength again, I don't want to risk opening more doors."

He thinks for a moment. "The room with the bags has two doors, and a secret door to the stink room. If we jammed the secret door and closed the door we've opened, we'd be about as secure as we could be."

[LordOfCain]

If I've read this right and the other door in the room is not in the secret room, Xavier makes his shapesand into a breathing mask of sorts, makes the rest into a shovel, and begins shovelling the dead lizardmen onto the unopened door to barricade it.

[Yael]

''That a good idea, indeed.'' Cassandra agrees with the dwarf and goes to help to set up camp in the room with the bags, before anything she inspects the rest of the room to look for anything harmful or suspicious, especially in those bags. She pokes with the tip of her longsword before anything.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack grabs Riven before she can poke any of the bags.

"That's not safe lass. Come stand here with me and we'll deal with this safely."

Barack stands in the corner with the burst bag and uses his grappling hook and rope to break open the rest of the bags, throwing as often as he needs to.

[J-H]

Maximov

Before lying down in a safe corner to rest, Maximov heals Riven and Xavier.

He eats some of the rations they brought in, reserving his power for more important uses. To ensure a good night's sleep, Maximov has to remove his armor and his shield, although he keeps them close at hand.

Touch of Healing to heal each of them by 2hp. Reserving 1pp in case of surprise attack.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier ultimately decides to sleep in the secret room and takes off his leather armor but keeps his hand on the falchion.

[Burnscar]

Xavier sets about clearing out the "secret" room. The smell is egregious - and your mask doesn't insulate completely. Still, it might be safer in there.

Barack and Riven spend an hour ripping open all the bags, keeping safe distance. The spores from the mold are now all over the floor, but don't seem immediately harmful - you've already walked around in it a bunch, and feel fine.

Just as you've about set up, a tremor runs through the dungeon, shaking the ground beneather you and releasing a small shower of rocks and stone from the cieling.

[PeacefulOak]

"What in the blazes was that?"

Barack looks at the ceiling, and then takes a peak into the main hallway.

"Seriously friends, let's get this room cleared and get our rest. We need to be moving on!"

[Yael]

''What in the Nine...'' Riven says after the tremor. ''This place must be not a mountain, then, or the tremor should've not be felt here. We must be under the ground level.'' She lastly said.

While she was taking off her armor, she turned her sight to the dwarf. ''Barack, our backs are on your hands. Wake me up at the slightest bit of trouble.'' She says, unstraps her bedroll, and places it near one of the walls, the opposite from the one that had that horrible smell.

Riven falls asleep almost immediately, because of how tired her body was after those two attacks earler she took.

[PeacefulOak]

Assuming nothing was seen, Barack makes sure all the doors to the room are closed, including the secret door.

I'm sorry Xavier, sweet dreams.

With that he sets his back to the unopened door and keeps watch for a few hours.

Followed by Riven, Xavier, and then Maximov.

[Burnscar]

Your rest passes relatively uneventfully.

During Barack's watch, a bloodcurling scream eccoes through the dungeon.

During Maximov's watch, you're all awoken by yet another violent tremor.

This hasn't been the best night's rest you've ever had, but you'll probably have to get used to it.

Xavier in particular wakes up bathed in sweat, shivering from fever. Barack is feeling a little queasy as well.

All of you recover 1 hp and daily abilities.

Xavier takes [roll0] dexterity damage, and [roll1] constitution damage, losing 2 hit points(along with a commensurate reduction of maximum hit points) as a result.

Please make a DC 13 fortitude save. (You still take the ability damage regardless of the result).

[LordOfCain]

If with reduced Con: [roll0]
If without reduced Con: [roll1]
Take the one that applies.
EDIT: Forgot to apply Great Fortitude but it doesn't matter: it would still fail if it was reduced Constitution and succeed if it wasn't with the reduced Constitution.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack, on waking, slowly rises and rubs his eyes, noting that he feels somewhat the worse for wear.

I wonder if this has anything do with handling all those fetid corpses? If so... Xavier slept there!

He scrambles to his feet and throws open the secret door, running in to see Xavier pale and shaking on the floor, clearly unconscious rather than asleep.

"Maximov, get in here quickly! Xavier needs healing, badly!"

With one ally all but dead, he knows he must be ready to defend the party once more this day. Pulling out an arcane dagger and a somewhat bent holy symbol, he scrawls a circular symbol and kneels outside of it. Mumbling a chant, he focuses his concentration on the center of the circle. Out of nowhere, an arrow appears, stabbing into some unseen force in the circle. More follow, blood pouring from unseen wounds to reveal a large suit of armor. Barack and the figure negotiate for a few moments, deep rumbling sounds of words that do not carry, before the figure and Barack nod agreement, and a rush of energy slams into Barack's body. He rises, and with a gesture is once again covered in a thick suit of blood red plate mail.

[roll0] to bind Savnok (DC 20)

[J-H]

Maximov

Maximov rushes over, healing Xavier before donning his armor. "You shouldn't have slept amongst that filth."

5pp = 10 points of healing.

I have 3pp left for the entire day. Don't die!

[LordOfCain]

Xavier says "Thanks for the assistance. I guess that sleeping in the secret room, although increasing my safety, did not pay off.

[PeacefulOak]

"At least you're back on your feet! That wound isn't looking so bad now, either. We'd be in a bad way were it not for Maximov, that is certain."

Barack claps Xavier on the shoulder heavily, then glances about. Taking up Bets's lead rope, he hands it to Maximov with a smile.

"Probably best if you keep a hold of Betsy, in case we need to be fighting again. Speaking of... which way shall we travel? This door here, or back and try the others?"

[LordOfCain]

Xavier says that forwards is always the best way.

[Yael]

''I suggest we push forward. We need to find a safer place or the exit of this place to treat ourselves properly.'' Says riven as she cleans herself with a bit of soap and using a tiny amount of water. She also cleans her injuries from the day past.

After that, she stands and dons her leather armor, strapping her longsword sheath to her belt. ''For now, the best is that I stay in the back row for combat.'' She takes out her shortbow and adjusts the belt of her quiver, she checks for how many arrows she had since they left town. ''10... 30... 40 arrows, yeah I can stay ranged for a while, at least until we get through this cavern.''

''We should eat before anything, right?'' Riven takes out a bit of dried meat she brought as rations, and takes a bite.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack follows suit, sitting with a heavy rattle and clank. Tipping up the visor of his great helm, he begins to munch on some hearty dwarf bread.

"Good ideas all, lass. Need to keep up our strength!"

[Burnscar]

The party feels a little more traditionally humanoid after they've slept and filled their stomachs.

[PeacefulOak]

Feeling well fed and satisfied, Barack stands and belches, brushing a few spores from his armour.

"Well, if seems we're agreed. Onward, then, to adventure!"

[Yael]

Cassandra closes to the next door, and pokes its entrance with the tip of the bow at several sides.

''Can someone else try on that door? If it is closed I'll search for it, promise.'' Riven said trying to sound stout, when she was standing by sheer force of will.

After a brief silence, Riven closed towards the door and with a mumble, she started looking for hazzards.

Rolls in the OoC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21338219&postcount=275)

[Burnscar]

Riven's search reveals no traps. The room beyond is filled to the brim with rotten barrels, soggy crates, and disintegrating sacks with clusters of black mushrooms growing in them. A 5ft. pathway extends from the door deeper into the room - it's 'T'shaped, with a 5ft. tunnel leading south from the right-hand top of the 'T'.

Diagram:
Each letter represents a 5ft. square.


O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O


X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O
O
O


X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O
O
O


W
W
W
W
W
W
X
X
O
W
O


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?

?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?

?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
W
W
D
W
?



D: Door(You enter here.)
W: Wall
O: Clear floor.
X: Clutter (crates, barrels & sacks)
?: You don't know what's here.

Squares not shown are wall.

[J-H]

Maximov
"I feel like we stumbled into someone's neglected basement storage area."

[Burnscar]

Most definitely. This stuff is stacked floor to cieling, 10ft. deep.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier stays away from any and all fungi.
Although arrogant, Xavier does learn his lesson.

[Yael]

Mostly interesting. ''This could be a storage room, so my theory is that we're going deeper into the mountain.'' Riven says in a low voice, trying not to alert whatever may be inside. ''Move carefully, here.''

Riven will go at half speed to prevent any damage or hazzards from the floor, if any.

[Burnscar]

Riven makes it to the east/west section of the 'T' without disturbing anything. The western end of the 'T' ends in a wall, while the eastern end has a 5ft. corridor running south from the end. (See diagram.)

[Yael]

Riven places her torch on the floor and walks slowly to the eastern wall until she can place her back on it. She then waits quietly a few seconds while placing her right index finger on her lips, signaling for silence to her comrades. Cassandra proceeds to listen without entering the corridor.

Riven walks at half speed until the O left to the last W at the top right, and rolls for listen. Her bow is at hand, and her light source is at her feet.

[roll0]

[Burnscar]

... Silence.

She does look down the corridor though. It's 20ft. long, the bottom 10ft. opening up into a 10ft. wide halway running east.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack follows closely, peering at the piles of miscellany that surround them. This room is nothing that he was expecting coming into this place, and he is eager to see if there is anything that can be taken from this supply room.

At Riven's gesture, he attempts to step quietly.

I'll do a tentative search check to see if anything of overt use or value.

[roll0]

[Burnscar]

Barack sifts through some stuff - moving one of the boxes, he's just about to touch a sack, releasing deadly spores into the air, but luckily he pulls his fingers back at just the last moment.

He keeps his hands to himself after that close shave. He doesn't find anything of value, just waterlogged and moldy cloth.

[Yael]

Riven readies an arrow and with her foot, she kicks the torch so it gives vision on the corridor she hasn't looked at, then rapidly shifts to the corner and aims her arrow inside the passway, using the dim light the lightsource provides to see what's by the path. She does not reveal her whole body, though, using the corner as cover for any kind of ranged combat. Riven does not notice Barack's near death experience.

From the O she was to the O right above the W.

[Burnscar]

Riven looks down the twenty feet corridor.



O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
W


X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O
O
O
W


X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
O
R
O
W


W
W
W
W
W
W
X
X
O
W
O
W


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
O
W


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
O
O


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
O
O


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
W
W


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
X
X
O
W
?
?


?
?
?
?
?
W
W
W
D
W
?
?

[PeacefulOak]

Barack follows close behind Riven, with a readied action to swap places with her at the first sign of danger.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier will stay in the back with his falchion drawn.

[Yael]

Without any sound, and not loosening the arrow, Riven presses by the corridor as she has backup. She still walks slowly to prevent loud noises. With her right foot, and her eyes she signals Barack to take the torch that lies on the floor, so she can still have vision, as her body will block most of it.

Still moving at half-speed.

[Burnscar]

The party inches along the corridor, until you reach the bend. Looking carefully around the corner, you see that it becomes a ten-foot wide corridor, running east for 35ft. before opening into a north-south corridor, likewise ten feet wide.

Giving the party a chance to say they stop, or do something along the way.

[Yael]

Before entering the next corridor, Riven waits for the rest. She asks for the torch to illuminate this new area, and takes a peek at it.

If no enemies are around, she starts touching the floor with the long tip of her bow, using it as a pole to spring any possible pitfall trap that activates via soft touch.

So she continues until she has touched both 5 ft. squares that open the corridor. She also rolls for a search check for traps if no enemies are around.

[Burnscar]

Riven finds no traps, nor does her careful poking reveal any pitfalls.

[Yael]

''Straight corridor... I do want to advance slowly. Stay close.'' And with that, Riven starts walking with backs to the northern wall, aiming with her bow to the front.

[PeacefulOak]

"Lass, that dead end back there puzzles me. Why leave the path clear all the way to the wall? Do you think it's worth checking?"

[Yael]

Riven stops on her tracks, having walked around 7 feet through the corridor, due to her slow movement rate, to think about what Barack said. Her dungeoneering thirst was actually on, and there was probably treasure ahead, which is why Cassandra began traveling in the first place. But she ain't alone, so her decisions should be taken into account as much as her party's. So she walked back slowly, not giving her back to the dark corridor.

''I hadn't thought of that, probably an ambush of some sort? We still don't know what or who killed those lizard people. Should we look for options back in the open halls? What do you think back there?'' She asks to the rest.

[LordOfCain]

"Ahead... always ahead..."

[J-H]

back from 24 hours of FIOS internet being down
Maximov

Maximov follows cautiously at the end of the line, with a lit candle in hand.

[Burnscar]

You back up, and go looking for secret doors back at the dead end - you find nothing, however.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier will continue to wait for a combat situation where he is needed, always keeping an attack readied for anyone he doesn't recognize to appear.

[PeacefulOak]

"My pardon, friends. I did not want to leave any corridor behind us without checking it. To date we know not what caused those wounds on the lizard folk."

[LordOfCain]

"It is better to be wise and have no fruit of one's precautions than to be a fool and to be ambushed."

[Burnscar]

You've found out that there are no secret doors here. Where are you going now?

[LordOfCain]

Xavier thinks they should go down the passage to the right.

[Yael]

''Alrighty then.'' Riven resumes her travel through the passage. She asks for the team to step only where she has been, and follow a straight line, so there are no traps sprung.

Riven walks in straight line checking in the following order
>1 > 3 > 5 > 7 > 9
v 2 v 4 v 6 > 8 v 10

Doing search checks at every odd number (1,3,5, etc.)

[Burnscar]

Riven finds no traps in the corridor running east, and reaches the end without incident. From here, it emerges into a ten feet wide, but otherwise featureless corridor, ending in a dead end ten feet north of you, and with a round stone door twenty feet to the south. The door is closed.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier says "Thus far, so good. Maybe we can find some actual, non-decayed, valuables soon.

[Yael]

''Or at least an exit.''

She continues down the hall, towards the stone door at the south corridor. She points at the northern dead end, as long as Barack steps at the corridors. ''Another dead end?''

[PeacefulOak]

Barack follows closely, glancing towards the North.

"Could be, lass. Still, worth a look." The stout dwarf trudges off to the end of the hallway, looking for any irregularities in the stonework.

[Burnscar]

Riven steps out into the north-south hallway, and promptly triggers an ancient trap!

With a hiss, a gob of acid comes flying out of a hidden slot in the northern end of the hallway.

To hit vs Riven, Touch AC: [roll0]

[Yael]

''Gaahghhh..!'' Riven starts burning with the greenish substance.

[Burnscar]

The damage is hideous, and the proccess of being sloshed in acid extremely painful.

That must be a learning experience.

[Yael]

Riven's skin gets severily injured as she falls unconscious by the pain.

Rolling to stabilize (91-100% does the trick)

[roll0]

[LordOfCain]

Xavier gasps in horror. He asks if Maximov can alleviate Riven's wounds.

[J-H]

Maximov

Maximov hustles up, dropping the lead rope for the mule for the moment. He touches Riven with a glowing hand, healing her. "That's it. I am done for the day. The only healing I can give after this involves bandages, needles, and thread."


Touch of Health, 3pp expended, heals 6pp. 0/8pp remain!

[Yael]

Riven coughs and opens her eyes in horror. She is lying on the ground, next to Maximov. ''Ugh... Enough of this...'' Riven stands up with care and shambling a bit because of her persistant injuries. ''Thank you, Maximov, I owe you one.'' Her back is all exposed because of the acid that got her from behind, but the armor still covers up. ''Someone else take the scouting for now, at least. Please.''

Back to 1 hp, I damn love you J-H

[PeacefulOak]

"Aye lass, that's more than fair. If you'll check to make sure it's safe, I'll take the first step each time. I'll even open the door!"

[LordOfCain]

Xavier: "Hopefully we can get to something soon that I can actually see... instead of all these hidden traps and mechanisms..."

[Yael]

This is getting ridiculous. Goes through Cassandra's mind, she hasn't been performing well at dungeon delving because of her totally absurd persona. She's pretending and by doing so not concentrating on what she needs to be doing, in order to survive.

Riven stands up, and closes carefully to the door, getting careful at every step she takes so there is no more acid showers. When at the door, she checks for the other's positions, behind her, and proceeds to check on the door.

Yeah, close to the door and search for it... #YOLO

[Burnscar]

Riven does a thorough search, but comes up with nothing. There's no sound coming from the other side either.

[Yael]

Riven finishes her job, puts her tools in the bag, and stands up, undusting her knees.

''Clear.'' She says in a low voice, and walks a few steps back the corridor, raising both her hands towards the door with an 'after you' gesture as if she had a wooden sign on her.

[Burnscar]

Barack opens the door, quite as you've agreed on.

It swings aside to reveal a 40ft. east-west by 25ft. north-south room, with the door sitting in the eastern end of the northern wall. The room is filled with barrels and crates containing stonemason's tools of all kinds, as well as five large coils of rope. The air is damp and stale, and there are no doors in the room outside of the one you just opened.

[LordOfCain]

"Finally something we can salvage... that rope may come in handy soon...."

[J-H]

Maximov looks around for the water or liquid in the room that's making the air humid.

[Burnscar]

Maximov finds a small crack where the wall meets the ceiling. small amounts of water seep from it at intervals.

Xavier takes a look at a coil of rope. It's pretty badly frayed - you wouldn't want to put too much weight on it. Each of the ropes are 100ft. long though.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack steps into the room, glancing into the barrels and looking about as he moves.

"Andreth would love this. He always went on about the holy importance of working stone." He chuckles to himself at some memory.

"Anything jumping out at you, friends? This room seems rather unexciting."

[LordOfCain]

Xavier will look for any items that are not rope or tools: any provisions, adventuring equipment, treasure, etc.

[Burnscar]

You turn the room over, producing little of interest. No treasure, no secret exits, no nothing.

[Yael]

''We should head back.'' Riven says at the door. ''There's nothing more than mundane equipment. Though the rope may come come in handy to mark places we've been throuth, I suggest we use it that way.'' She says refeering to the poor state of the rope.

[LordOfCain]

"If one of us were to fall due to a problem with the rope... that could be quite deadly... especially with you in your current state.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack gives up his search for anything useful in this room, and turns to listen to the conversation.

"Lad, I think the idea is to leave it trailed behind us to mark our path. The downside to that, lass," he continues, "is that anything seeking to follow us will know exactly where to find us. It might also encourage anything not actively seeking us to seek us out. We haven't found the lizard-slayer yet."

Barack gets a thought, and steps up to Xavier and takes a look at the savage slash the orc had given him. I wonder, could we have already slain them?

[Burnscar]

Barack takes a look at Xaviers heavy wounds. They could be the same thing, maybe? He's not sure how he'd rule out them being the same thing, so his guess isn't really knowledge.

[PeacefulOak]

"Lads... er... friends, I think we should lay up here for a days serious rest. Xavier's still lookin' shakey, and Riven's barely keeping her feet. Let Xavier and I see to your wounds, and we'll push on tomorrow."

Memories of his older brothers making him assist them in their work haunts him as he anticipates a full day of care.

[Burnscar]

You all settle down to rest. The next twenty four hours pass with little of interest happening. Those of you who haven't brought food or water start to notice something strange; you don't seem to get hungry. Or thirsty, for that matter.

Two times during your day of rest, tremors shoot through the halls of the complex. One time it was even violent enough to turn over one of the barrels, scattering tools and materials all over the floor.

One time, you think you hear the skittering of rats, or some similar creatures, through the southern wall.

Still, little of interest happens.

[Burnscar]

Xavier is still feeling really sick as he wakes up.

You take [roll0] constitution & [roll1] dexterity damage.
Please roll a fort save, DC 12. This cures the disease, but does not negate the above damage.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier is still feeling really sick as he wakes up.

You take [roll0] constitution & [roll1] dexterity damage.
Please roll a fort save, DC 12. This cures the disease, but does not negate the above damage.
[roll0]
*fingers krossed

[Yael]

*Yawn* Riven wakes up. ''I was really tired, we got tremors last night?'' She says as she stands up to don her armor. ''How much time we spent here?''

[PeacefulOak]

"A full day, lass. Nearly dawn to dawn, by my count. You look much better, though. The rest seems to have done you good." Barack stretches and wipes the sleep from his eyes, then kneels down and thinks for a moment before beginning to scrawl a circular symbol in the floor. A brief chant, and the arrows once again streak from nowhere to outline a figure in blood. A brief conversation ensues, and the figure nods it's head. It is worth noting that the bloodlined armor is very similar to that worn by Barack when he summons it.

[roll0] Binding Check for Savnok.

Regardless of result, summoning Savnok's Armour.

[J-H]

Maximov

Maximov uses his formidable mental powers to strengthen Riven, closing the last of her wounds.

"Let's continue checking the doors in this junk pile." As they leave the room, he lights a candle.


Touch of Health for 4hp, putting her at full HP.
5/8pp left.

[PeacefulOak]

His ceremony completed, and once more clad in blood red plate, Barack steps out of the room at Xavier's side.

"Aye, let's be on. There are challenges to be faced and overcome, and power to be gained. As I've seen it, more power is something we could all use."

Barack makes his way back through towards the front of the dungeon, keeping his eyes open and alert for anything that might be a threat to his companions.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier follows Barack after donning his armor and unsheathing his falchion.

[Yael]

Riven yawns after Maximov healed her. She made some excercises that were otherwise imposible to do while badly injured. ''Thank you, Maximov. I've not felt this good in ages.'' She dons her armor and takes a small gulp to her waterskin, but retires it from her mouth almost immediately. Weird. She thought as she would be not thirsty, and because she wasn't dizzy for hunger, she better not oppened her second ration of food. She had enough energies.

''Also thank you!'' She says to the dwarf, slapping his shoulder with her right hand while her left hand had her thumb up. ''Even if I feel good at the moment, I think I'll stay behind to aid Xavier. We got your back, Barrack.'' Cassandra picks up her stuff and packs it up. She didn't take any rope, as Barrack was right. She probably could come back later if the matter of the slayer was settled, she had a pretty good memory anyway, she'd remember the place, or how to get there. With bow readied, she light on another torch, and pointed it to the front.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack makes his way back to the hallway with four doors, keeping a careful eye out as he leads the party back. On arrival, he looks at the two doors they haven't opened yet.

"Well, I think that the northern door would be a good first choice! It's the closest to what we've already explored. Riven, care to make sure we don't explode?"

[Burnscar]

As Barack steps out of the halway, he triggers the familiar globs of acid. It flies down the hallway towards him.

Luckily, the acid lands harmlessly on the floor, in a small clear puddle that soon disappears.

Touch AC Barack: [roll0]

You make your way back to the L shaped halway, through the storage area. You can tell that something has been at the orc corpses. Large chunks of meat has been bitten off, and entrails scattered all over the floor. The smell is pretty bad.

[Yael]

''This isn't good. We were here just yesterday morning, and this looks very recent... We must be ready.''
Track, anyone?

[LordOfCain]

"Perhaps we should leave a sentry here tonight, to see what it is that did that. It could be the same thing that killed the lizard men."

[PeacefulOak]

When the trap triggers, Barack almost leaps back but the acid falls short. "Riven, looks like you took the main burst from it! It must be worn out."

At the corpses, Barack kneels down with a clank. "No, I don't think this is the same. These appear to have been gnawed on. We should be on the lookout for vermin. Now, about this door, Riven?"

[Burnscar]

Those would be some awfully big vermin.

[Yael]

''I'll check.'' Riven closes and examines the door. She took her time to do it with the less mistake as she could.

[Burnscar]

Riven locates no traps on this intricately carved door.

[Yael]

''Clear'' Cassandra steps up with her gear and readies her bow, taking position near Xavier and the mule.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack positions himself at the opening side of the door, morningstar at the ready, and gestures for Xavier to open the door with his shapesand hook-pole.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier tries to open the door to the best of his ability.

[Burnscar]

The door swings open, and the light from your mule shines into yet another room. There's a dead orc on the floor, lying prone, as if he died while crawling towards the door you've just opened. Like the other corpses, this one has been idly chewed on, leather armor torn and chunks of flesh missing.

On the northern wall is a door, this one open, leading into yet another room. What little you can see of it from here seems empty.

The room is 25ft. east-west, 35ft. south-north. The open door is in the northern wall, sitting near the north-eastern corner.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier keeps his eyes peeled for anything he doesn't recognize and has teeth.

[J-H]

Maximov

"Maybe we should try to find a door that doesn't have chewed-up orcs behind it. Try the other one?"

[Yael]

''No, actually we should investigate the room.'' Riven readies an arrow. ''The slayer could be inside.''

[PeacefulOak]

"I agree with Riven. It's too risky leaving open and unexplored rooms behind us, anything could come up behind us and catch us with our pants down."

Barack steps into the room, examining the corpse of the Orc for any loot or any evidence of what may have befallen it.

[Burnscar]

The body appears to have been looted - only his shredded leather vest and trousers, along with the equally shredded roughspun clothes underneath appear to have been left behind. Someone even took his boots.

Barack does note that there's remarkably little blood, for all that he's evidently been chewed on. Further investigation reveals four relatively small but deep puncture wounds on his neck and the front of his arms.

[Yael]

Riven enters right after the dwarf. She lights with her torch the place, to search for possible threats.
Spot check. [roll0]

[LordOfCain]

Xavier steps back and inhales deeply. He looks startled.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack steps forward and around the corpse of the orc, keeping his eyes open as he approaches the new open door. He keeps his morning star at the ready, stalking forward to the door and peering through.

"Xavier, stay close. There may be enemies ahead worthy of battle."

[LordOfCain]

"Then I will finally be able to prove myself..."

[J-H]

Maximov follows cautiously behind, leading the beast of burden.

[Burnscar]

Barack peers through the door, and notes a nondescript lump of rock above the doorway. The room is suddenly plunged into shadow. The lump in the cieling unfurls into a roughly circular creature, looking like some sort of unholy cross between a squid and a bat.

Surprise round: It has acted. You are all surprised.

Initiatives.
Enemy: [roll0]
Party: [roll1]

[Burnscar]

The thing sails through the air, and slams into Barack, trying to wrap itself around him.

Slam: [roll0] vs Barack FF AC, [roll1] damage if hit, grab if hit: [roll2] vs Barack Grapple: [roll3], Constrict damage if succeeds [roll4]

Knowledge(Nature) is appropriate for further information.

Party is now up. Map is here, (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1E8HVYCugmNer8cqqMXW0VQpli6uXHhKNu9--0w2YMj8/edit) you may move your own squares. Do note that torchlight and liquid sunlight does not brighten the shadowy illumination.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

With a snarl, Barack shoves the creature back and strikes at it with his morningstar.

He takes a careful step through the door and to the right, to give his allies room and a clear line of sight to attack.


[roll0] for [roll1] Damage!

[Yael]

Riven says no word. She readies her arrow, aims, and shoots true at the monster.

Attacking the da__ma_t_e. Spending an Inspiration point to activate Cunning Insight (Ex)

Inspiration pool 2/3

Miss Chance [roll0]
Attack [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

[Burnscar]

Cassandra draws her bow, and shoots an arow, poking a hole through the thing's "wing", and it coils in the air rapidly, as if in pain.

What is this damate of which you speak? :smallbiggrin:

[LordOfCain]

Xavier draws his falchion as part of his move action if he had not already drawn it, and approaches the... squid and attacks. (using the Stone Bones maneuver) Roll: [roll0] Concealment: [roll1] Potential Damage: [roll2]

[J-H]

The flame detaches from Maximov's candle, moving towards the creature.


Manifesting Control Flames, 1 pp.
The fire moves into the creature's space. Reflex DC 15 lets it dodge by moving out of its space per paragraph 3 - probably provoking an AOO in the process. If it fails, it takes 1 point of fire damage, and must take another Reflex save (DC15) or catch fire for 1d6 damage per round ([roll0] this round).

[Burnscar]

The thing appears wholly unconcerned with the flames.

Reflex to not be set on fire: [roll0] This part does not apply here.

[Burnscar]

The thing continues to harry Barack, completely heedless and unburnt by the flames around it. Barack wards it off.

To Hit: [roll0],
Damage: [roll1]
Grab if hit: [roll2] vs Barack's [roll3]
Constrict damage if grappled: [roll4]

And now Maximov's turn begins, and the darkmantle takes 1 damage(from the control flames) is set on fire for 5 damage (rolled a 5 on its reflex save). It does not appear to take any damage from either, though.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

With a growl, he ignores the beast's flailing at his helmet and takes a heavy strike at it with his morningstar.


[roll0] to hit, for [roll1] damage

[Yael]

''Heads down!''

Riven shouts and shoots at the thing, hoping that Xavier won't get in the arrow's way.
Riven attacks the darkmantle again, and she spends another Inspiration point to use Cunning Insight.

Inspiration Pool 1/3

Miss Chance [roll]1d100[roll] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21385410&postcount=405)
Attack Roll [roll0]
Damage Roll [roll1]

EDIT: Miss Chance rerolled in the OoC.

[LordOfCain]

Xavier attempts to strike it again. Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1] Miss Chance: [roll2]

[J-H]

Maximov continues to concentrate, hoping that some of the flames will injure the creature.

Maybe it has fire resist 5 and I'll roll a 6...

[Burnscar]

Your blows are dodged, or repelled by its leathery skin. It envelopes Xavier, trying to wrestle him to the ground, but its futile writhing is easily circumvented.

Slam: [roll0] vs Xavier,
[roll1] damage.
If hit, [roll2] grab vs. Xavier's grapple: [roll3]
Constrict damage if successfully grappled: [roll4]

Edit: Holy ****.

[Burnscar]

Not having moved, the flames continue to lick at the beastie.

Ref DC 15 to shake the 'on fire' he already is: [roll0]
Ref DC 15 to not be more on fire: [roll1]

It fails the second save, and so is on fire for 1d6 this round. J-H, would you please roll the damage on your turn?

[J-H]

Maximov

"Come on, burn!"


[roll0] fire damage as Maximov continues his concentration.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

"Oh no you don't you blasted flying rock!"


[roll0] for [roll1] damage... please?

[Yael]

Riven readies another arrow, and fires at the thing.

This is just silly.

I won't spend inspiration on this one.

Miss Chance [roll0]
Attack [roll1]
Damage [roll]1d6[roll]

EDIT: I'm just not gonna bother...

[LordOfCain]

Xavier attempts yet again to strike it: [roll0] Damage: [roll1] Miss Chance: [roll2]

[Burnscar]

None of you quite manage to cut it to pieces. This time, the creature has much more luck, wrapping itself around Xavier and squeezing until he loses consciousness. The rest of the party are treated to a sickening cracking noise.

Slam: [roll0] vs Xavier - Hit.
[roll1] damage.
If hit, [roll2] grab vs. Xavier's grapple: [roll3] - Creature Success.
Constrict damage if successfully grappled: [roll4]

Total damage to Xavier: 16.

The creature is now in Xavier's space.

[Burnscar]

The thing sort of wraps around itself to smother the flames on its wings. It's a bit of a mind-bending thing to witness.

The darkmantle is no longer standing in the flames by the time Maximov's turn begins. Therefore it must only save to get rid of the existing flames.

DC 15: [roll0]

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

"Again? For the love of..."

[roll0] for [roll1] damage.

[Yael]

Riven drops her bow and draws her longsword. ''Xavier!'' She then closes to the creature.

[Burnscar]

Barack hammers the creature on its "head", and it collapses on itself.

End of Combat.

[J-H]

Maximov

Maximov steps forwards and heals Xavier. "Do I look like some muttering priest?"


3pp/6hp healing, leaving Maximov at 1pp.

[Yael]

''What was that thing?'' Riven asks while recovering her arrows. She sheathes her longsword and readies her bow again.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

Reaching out a hand, Barack hauls Xavier back to his feet. "Blast it, lad. If you keep falling down like that, we'll never make it through here! From now on, pull out that dusty polearm of yours and stay behind me." Barack makes to continue forward, then pauses. "Oh, and keep an eye on the ceiling. We don't want any more of those beasties dropping on our heads!"

That said, he moves forward to examine the new room.

[LordOfCain]

"'Course, with my luck, we'll run into a whole... what wouldya call a group o' those things?

[Burnscar]

This room is square, 25 feet in each dimension, but otherwise unremarkable. As with the rest of the complex, the floor is littered with dust and small pieces of stone broken off from the cieling during the quakes. Another open door on the north wall leads into yet another identical room, and from there, a final door, likewise open, leads into a corridor.

Barrack has only the time for a brief look around, before a literal tide of rats come sailing in through the corridor. They're black, shiny and fat, with bony ridges potruding from their fur.

Initiative(Swarm): [roll0]
Initiative(Party): [roll1]

As always, map is here (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1E8HVYCugmNer8cqqMXW0VQpli6uXHhKNu9--0w2YMj8/edit?usp=sharing).

[Burnscar]

Riven and Barack are both mobbed by the rats, crawling all over both of them, gnawing at exposed skin.

Damage: [roll0]

Riven and Barack should both make two fortitude saves: the first to avoid catching Filth Fever (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#disease), the second to avoid being nauseated (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#nauseated) on their next turn. Technically, the first save happens on the rats' turn, while the second happens on the start of your turn, but that's now, so it's all good.

Both Riven and Barrack are flatfooted due to not having acted yet, and so recieve no attacks of opportunity for the rats entering their spaces.

[Burnscar]

Maximov: These are not normal rats. They've been tainted with fiendish energy, somehow. On second thought, you're pretty sure that this is also what happened with the bat-squid thing from before. In practice, this means that they won't burn very well, unless you manage some really hot fire. Same goes for cold. Good news though, rats are large enough that you can fight the swarm with conventional weaponry, although their planar taint also means that they're tougher to cut than normal rats are - at least with nonmagical weaponry. And they're smart, as rats go.

[PeacefulOak]

Barack

Beating rats out of his armor, Barack goes to take a swipe at the rats but ends up losing his breakfast all over them instead.

"Retreat, lads! Back to the door, we'll hold them there!"

That said, he backs away until he is just on the other side of the door, clutching the frame and retching as he yanks a remaining rat out of a crease in his armor and throws it back towards the swarm.

[roll0] Fort 1
[roll1] Fort 2
[roll2] for [roll3] damage. No attack, I'm nauseated.

[Burnscar]

Barack fails the second save, and is nauseated. He can take only a move action this turn. Riven passes both saves.