Rise of the Runelords IC

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 "S'not like I really really wanted to be rich anyway...."

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) There is nothing for us to do now. Lizuga, can you pick up evil auras? I have read about Hellknights sensing chaos, where they tread, I assumed you as a paladin... Adalbert is embarassed at not knowing something. We need to find the barghest. The raid might be blown off, but I don't want the hell beast to relocate further. But our chances are better with the help of the Mayor and Brodert. I assume he will be delighted by an addition to his library.

[DrK]

Justin

Listening to Adalbert the young guard nods. "all right. How about we all search around here? We may fing another secret door, a latch or some sort of hidden key hole somewhere." He stands by the wall and Adalbert, the sun rod held close to the surface of the coins as he searches for any sign of a crack, key hole or signs of a hidden door.

Spoiler: Perception

Show

Take the time to take 20 for a 27

[u-b]

Justin starts to search around inch by inch, starting with the pillar. The pillar looks... perfect. For example, there is absolutely no sign of dust on it and the coins are all proof-quality new. There is no hidden key hole anywhere between them. Justin continues searching the walls around the pillar and... yep, there are, not key holes, but two coin-sized slots, in the northern and southern walls. They don't look like they would facilitate any turning, but seem to go down into the respective walls.

[Ghostfoot]

Iris

"Good spotting, Justin" says Iris. "I was beginning to think that any way forward through this place would require blood sacrifice or something equally horrific. Still, we don't know what the magical effect of this golden column is. I doubt it's all simply going to collapse into our backpacks to be carted off. Everyone be careful - stand back."

Iris moves to one one of the slots, gold coin at the ready, and waits for someone else to take the other slot before both inserting coins at the same time.

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 "I'm afraid not, Master Adalbert. I can only see what is in front of my eyes, and I only know Evil by their deeds." She walks over to the other slot, fishes out a coin, and nods to Iris.

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[u-b]

Two gold coins disappear in two slots in the walls. They fall somewhere down there, but you don't hear them landing or anything. A few moments later the golden pillar starts to noisily grind down into the floor. Those of you observing this can notice that there is no gap between it and the floor: the pilar, being a stack of normal-sized coins, is not perfectly even in diameter, but the expected occasional gaps are simply not there. The pillar stops when it is almost all the way down into the floor, only one or two layers of coins above the surrounding floor level.

You see a T-shaped hall with three sets of stone double doors, leading north, east and south. The doors leading south bear no handles, but feature an indented outline of a seven-pointed star, its shape covered by hollows and slits. The doors leading north are decorated with an ornament. The doors leading east are barely decorated at all. Both sets have normal brass handles, probably shiny back in the day.

Spoiler

Show

http://roleplayer.narod.ru/img/RoTR_A36.png

[DrK]

Justin

Justin jumps slightly as the coin pile retracts into the floor. He takes a moment to tie the sunrod to his bag leaving a hand free for the small well made axe and grabbing both weapons slides into the delicate dancerlike stance and starts to edge down the corridor, eyes swivelling to the 3 doors he nods to the middle one, "Shall we try that one first?"

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) Well, sure, install the divine coin slots just above my line of sight. How rude of the Thassilonian Empire. Adalbert scoffs in a joking manner, half amused, half embarassed he never though of an admittance fee into a temple of riches. The middle one means we can be flanked from two sides. But it might lead to the main room, judging by today's cathedrals. The halfling professor draws his dagger and his lantern again, to lead the way. Let me be the light and guide, and you are the blade that saves me for the fifth time today, Justin. Spoiler Show I assume the heroism spell is still up? Maybe down 15 minutes or so?

[Ghostfoot]

Iris

"Not so fast Adalbert," says Iris "I'd hate to lose you to another trap here". Iris looks around for anything suspicious before allowing Adalbert to proceed.

Spoiler: check

Show

Perception (1d20+10)[17]

[u-b]

Nothing seems particularly suspicious to Iris. At least, not in a trap-y sort of way. You open the doors leading east. Behind them is anything but a main room. The room contains three low tables, their tops covered with a strange and chilling selection of tools, saws, long-bladed knives, and objects whose purpose is not readily apparent. A strange collection of bones lies near the southern table - too many to be one skeleton, but too few to be two.

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 "Hrmph". Lizuga resolutely walks over and pokes the bile of bones with her hammer, intending to spread them out in a single layer to look them over. Provided they continue to behave themselves.

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) Adalbert investigates the bones. Assuming they're human he compares them to the counterparts in Lizuga's anatomy to ease the identification process. Spoiler Show Take 10 with Heightened Awareness: 20 in Know Nature. I'll reference Lizuga if it is a Heal check instead.

[u-b]

Lizuga tries to spread the bones with her hammer, but they mostly just crumble to dust. Adalbert only manages to notice two skulls and one pelvis before he faces just a layer of bone dust on the floor. Was some(one?) medium-sized, at least that could be told.

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) These are long gone. The easy crumbling also means we are the first visitors in maybe a century. If anything stirs in here, we are in deep trouble, however unlikely. Adalbert continues towards left (northern?) door.

[DrK]

Justin

Justin tensed as they opened the door expecting some manner of evil to pounce upon them. It was almost a let down to discover nothing but the bones of a strange multi-headed creatrue. "Odd beasts" he mutters before it crumbles under Lizuga's hammer. He looks at the Northern door and nods to the halfling advancing towards it and throwing it open,

[Ghostfoot]

Iris

"Looks like some sort of experimentation or I've heard of golem construction practices bordering on necromantic. Yeck!"

Spoiler: perception

Show

Search for any recent tracks - I assume that the areas are generally dusty/ neglected.
Perception (1d20+10)[22]

[u-b]

Iris finds absolutely no signs of this place being recently visited. The only footprints are yours. Adalbert opens the doors leading north. The room behind them contains an upraised dais on which sits a marble throne. To either side stand statues of a man clutching a book and a glaive. A ghostly figure seems to be seated in the throne, an image of the same man who appears in the statues. He seems to be addressing an audience as he moves his hands about, the fingers decorated with hooked rings. The words are not loud and difficult to make out, but you think you could make sense of them if only you knew the language. The man seems to repeat himself. He does not react to your presence.

Spoiler: Thassilonian

Show

"…is upon us, but I command you remain. Witness my power, how Alaznist’s petty wrath is but a flash compared to my strength. Take my final work to your graves, and let its memory be the last thing you…" repeated over and over, each time accompanied by exactly the same gestures.

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) Please by Milani's graceful bottom, be an illusion spell and not a ghost. The man is talking about a war against the female runelord we saw yesterday just before we fought the wrath spawn. Let me check inside. Adalbert whispers, before sneaking in without his lantern. Spoiler Show Perception (1d20+3)[11] Stealth: (1d20+12)[24] History to remember this man (1d20+8)[22]

[DrK]

Justin

Justin leaps into a defensive stance before the image doesn't appear to be doing anything threatening. He nods at Adalbert, "Aye, I'm done with shadows and spectres and the like. I'd like something solid that we can stab." Glancing at the mostly empty room and the other one (central door) he turns to look at the southern door. "Well, I guess room number 3 may be where this monster is hiding."

Approaching that door he nods to the others, "Is everyone ready?"

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 Lizuga merely nods, then focuses her attention on the door again, her hammer leveled in preparation for assault

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[u-b]

It seems to be nigh impossible to sneak through the door directly in front of someone facing it, but Adalbert does just that. Or, the projected image does not really see him. Anyway, the man continues on with its speach. He matches the description of runelord Karzoug, ruler of Shalast, but this is clearly not the throne room for a person of this caliber.

You gather near the southern doors. There is no obvious way to open them.

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 "I could try the boot?", Lizuga whispers loudly and looks questioningly at the others.

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[DrK]

Justen

Justen grins at the warrior healer and nods. "Aye Liz' lets try the boot." He waits beside her, ready to leap into the room and see what lies beyond

[u-b]

You kick the door. It does not budge. In fact, upon closer examination, it looks like it should open northwards, but you see no obvious way to make it.

[Ghostfoot]

Iris

Iris nudges past the two warriors, scanning the solid doors for clues, magical or otherwise.

Spoiler: checks

Show

Detect magic on doors
Perception (1d20+10)[20] a mechanism to open them

Failing that, she heads back to the room with the spectral runelord, taking some time to study his words and actions for anything of use.

Spoiler: check

Show

? check (1d20)[17] +/- ?
detect magic on room contents

[u-b]

Iris detects some magic. The double doors with carved seven-pointed star are magical, featuring a faint aura. They also are apparently not thick enough to block the magic behind them from being visible through. Iris detects a room-sized strong aura behind the doors and a rug-sized moderate aura on the floor in the center of it.

The speaking image of Runelord Karzoug in the northern room is also magical, featuring a strong aura. Nothing else in the room is magical and nothing seems relevant to getting through the southern doors.

[CasualViking]

Lizuga Manescu AC 20+2 (+4 counter), Touch 11, FF 19, CMD 17|Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +7|HP: 31/31 "Try the amulet. It's the same shape".

Triage 4/4. Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Piercing Strike, Armor-piercing Thrust, Curate's Strike. Phalanx Lancer Stance.

[Ghostfoot]

Iris

"Good thinking! Careful though, there's strong magic through there. I'm no wizard, I can't work it out. Lebwen can you see if you can?"

[Spore]

Adalbert Halfling Archivist Bard AC: 20 HP: 25/25 touch: 15, ff: 16, CMD: 15 Conditions: Heightened Awareness (30ish minutes) Like his friends, Adalbert checks the magical auras in the area, the amulet in hand. A room sized magical effect in a temple is usually a divine spell upon an altar room. But it can have various effects. Few of which are fun for well-intentioned dungeon dwellers such as us. And it is BAD that we can pick it up through the walls, even after this long. Lebwen, you might really be able to do this better. Spoiler Show Aid another on Spellcraft (1d20+9)[17] to provide +4 Inspire competence in Spellcraft and Lebwen for another +3 equalling +7