Way of the Wicked: Knot of Thorns [IC]

[Endrak]

Imogen shrugs and starts working her way slowly down the southern wall with Kyr's help. "Yeah, Kel, why don't you hold onto that? We'll see if we find any other fun toys."

Spoiler: OOC

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Take 20 on Perception for both Imogen and the birb.

[Ahus]

Ved nods in agreement that Kel should hold on to the crystal before moving to the middle of the room. Holding his arms out he aligns himself with the middle of the stairs and the false door, then briskly rotates 90 degrees to align North/South with the hidden stone door. Choosing a point on the south wall in line with this arms, he moves to the center of the south wall. As he approaches the wall he will intone a spell in the dark language of their master.

Spoiler: Infernal

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"Lord Asmodeus Guide my vision such that we may find the path to complete our service."

With a puff of his pipe he blows, a smoke ring at the wall, watching as the smoke moves between the stones looking for the gap that would indicate the presence of a door.

Spoiler: Crunchy Bits

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Cast guidance
Move to center of the south wall
Look for a secret door. (Perception +11)

[BananaPhone]

Saiden moved back into the room with the others and then stood and watched as Ved performed his magical trickery. Or rather, his method of uncovering deceptions, arcane or not.

It was moments like these that the Knight wished she had more of an interest in enigma's while growing up, as she felt particularly out of her element pondering a crypt for clues and hidden messages. Though she did not like to admit it, she was relying on her compatriots to an uncomfortable degree.

Well, no matter. She knew that in other area's of their cooperation, it would be she who would be baring the brunt of the responsibility.

[lostsole31]

Working together in various ways, the group finds what appears to be another secret door to the south. What do you do at this portal, as I do NOT assumed for you to have simply opened it up?

[Endrak]

Imogen glances at the rest of the party and--seeing them in various states of caution and anticipation, but with no obvious objections to her unvoiced decision--simply shrugs her shoulders and opens the door.

[lostsole31]

Imogen opens the door to a dark hallway that is 10' wide and goes 20' to the south before ending at a door.

Now what?

[Ahus]

Ved turns away from the darkend passage, and moves to the lantern in the center of the room to take a closer look at it.

Spoiler: If lantern seems easily portable

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Ved spends a few seconds removing any fixtures that hold the lanternin place.

Spoiler: Otherwise

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Ved draws an arro from his quiver, and with a brief Gesture and incantation the arrowhead illuminates. Waving the arrow back and forth quickly he seems satisfied and holds it out like a torch.

Ved takes his light source to the edge of the doorway and shines it down the hall. Looking for another cryptic message. He waves his free hand at the more martially inclined indicating that he would appreciate their leading the way.

[lostsole31]

The lit lantern is hardmounted in some fashion to the ceiling.

[BananaPhone]

Saiden moves to get behind Imogen, assuming a position where she can cover the woman in case something inhospitable is lurking behind the door.

[lostsole31]

The spot behing Imogen is taken up by her raven, but Saiden is next to Kyr (the raven)

[Endrak]

"Let's keep an eye out," Imogen says to Scathe as she pats him on the shoulder and points to his side of the corridor. She stalks forward, searching for traps or suspicious sections of wall or floor on her side, and sends instructions to Kyr to search the ceiling.

Spoiler: OOC

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Take 10 on Perception for Imogen and Kyr.

[lostsole31]

Scathe, Imogen, and Kyr do their search down the hallway, with the group following. They find nothing of interest in the hallway.

Now at a door. Imogen and Scathe are in front (Kyr flying above). Now what?

[Blackhawk101]

Leonidas retrieves his ioun torch and sets it alight. He will follow the group as before.

[Ahus]

Ved holds his illuminated arrow nocked, but not drawn, aloft over the others as he follows them down the hall a half step ahead of Leonidas.

Spoiler: Scathe, Imogen

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In your minds, you receive a "non-verbal message" telling you to check the threshold of the door for a message like the one found outside of the first room.

Spoiler: crunchy edit

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Bonded Mind + Solo Tactics works like the Message Spell but shares "non-verbal messages" as though the recipient is reading the sender's mind. Unless one of them actually has bonded mind they cannot initiate but given Solo Tactics should be able to receive,
TBD whether or not they can reply.

[lostsole31]

They may or may not have received such a message [TBD], but either way, they don't have to look hard at all as the short passage from the north ends in a wooden door with another inscription:

“Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord.”

[BananaPhone]

Saiden followed in behind Imogen and Scathe, her tall figure armed and ready to leap into action should any mobile physical danger emerge to threaten them. Fortunately, such was not yet the case.

Reading the plaque, the Aasimir pursed her lips and snorted lightly in amusement.

"Be an individual and don't give into peer pressure..." she uttered under her breath. A quick glance around at their assorted number would suggest they had all followed such advice so far...otherwise, they would not be here.

[Endrak]

"Well said," Imogen mutters back. "I don't like all this fancy talk. Thee and thy and thou, poppycock. Forsooth, to protract the most simplistic turn of phrase for no goodly reason but to exhibit vast intellect instead exhibits one's lack thereof. Oh pike, listen to me go. It's contagious."

She stands up from her crouch and stretches her arms and back, shivering with a combination of pleasure and pain as she works out a kink in her spine with an audible crack.

"Ouch. Anyway, Ved, you want to do that ghost hand thing to open this door from a distance? The other one only had a wall behind it, but for all we know this one's sporting its very own portal to Hell."

[Ahus]

"Indubitably" Ved says is a slightly mocking tone whilst curtsying, whilst secretly appreciating the formality of the verbiage.
"Prepare, thine selves for the opening of the door is at... Hand." with that Ved once again conjures his spectral hand and open's the door.

Spoiler: Crunchy Bits

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Make bad pun
Chuckle to self momentarily while anyone takes any preparation action they need
Cast Mage Hand
Open door from third rank

[lostsole31]

The door does not open, not even the doorknob.

Spoiler: Ved

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The reason that this otherwise never-works tactic actually worked on the first door, is that it was a light, loose, cheap knob that wasn't made for any real stoutness like a knob of a normal door. Once the catch was released internally, the door just creaked open of its own accord. Please note that while now was a great "control group," a doorknob is a component of an object, not an object to itself, and the object you manipulate can be no more than 5 pounds.

[Ahus]

Elf Ved blushes slightly saying, "Um, the door seems to be stuck, or at least requires more force than I can muster with this spell."

Spoiler: Mage Hand?

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In that case, is there anything preventing me from manipulating a glove or hook of some sort to open the door?

[Endrak]

Imogen sighs and raises her hands in surrender. "It was worth a shot. I can try to open it myself, but maybe you should step outside first. That inscription makes me think the more closely clustered we are, the more whatever this is will hurt."

[Blackhawk101]

“Aye. Spread out ya’ scurvy dogs!”
Leo moves back out of the short hallway.

[lostsole31]

What does everyone else do?

[Ahus]

Ved, already near the back of the group, edges off to the side of the hallway and levels his bow preparing to launch his illuminated arrow at whatever creature lies in wait. "OK, Imogen, I'll cover you but try to give me a clear line of fire through the door as you open it."

[BananaPhone]

Said takes several paces back - enough to separate herself from the others and to help them be apart from her. She then grips her weapon and readies herself should anything come ploughing through the door once it has been unlocked.

[lostsole31]

Scathe, what do you do?

[Endrak]

Imogen makes sure everyone has stepped away from the door before she begins. Stepping to the side, she reaches an arm out and turns the knob. If it opens, she will open it slowly.

[lostsole31]

Imogen opens the door, and Scathe steps right in.

Inside the stone chamber, there are four doors - each facing a cardinal direction (you are at the door to the north). The entire chamber seems strangely cold. The ground is dirty and dusty. He calls out, "At least a dozen individuals have walked toward the southern and eastern doors. No one seems to have approached the western door."

The room is also lit with a small lantern that is suspended from the ceiling, as before. There is a small amount of frost on the lantern's glass panes.

[Ahus]

Hearing no obvious signs of danger Ved lowers his bow and walks into to room. Ved observes the trails of footprints headded south and east stating, "Well, I expected these hints to be less painfully obvious. Expect those two doors to be leathally trapped. Now, Icy derision, frosted lantern? It has got to be this way out."
Ved will then move in the direction of the western door and look for anything unusual.

[Blackhawk101]

Leonidas will enter the room and observe from the center.