The Bouquet of Torment [The Princess Game] IC

[Son of A Lich!]

Late in the night, as you laid your heads to rest, a dream turned sour and dour. In this nightmare, vines of screaming grass grasped and twisted at your ankles, shackling you in place as Meanies of the Elder Dragon S'Kalorne (The Moon Quaker, the Dawn Rival, The Shepard of Anguish, Elder Dragon of Nightmares and Foul magicks) swooped in while you were entangled in the tall screaming grass. The Bugbears carried you through swamps of tinder and mold, over grown with death and puppets dancing across the flames, through cold bright waters of luminescent crabs gleefully snapping closer to their prey, and down halls and corridors and ruins of the Dys'rone Ork empire.

You can feel each other's hands move through your own nets, and watch as each of your Bugbears seem to jitter between each other - Like they are all overlaid on top of one another. Like you are overlaid with the other princesses. Hands with iridescent scales, wild flowing hair pressed against your face, eyes that see even in her dreams and a Meanie, curiously enough.

When you awake, the over laid feeling is gone - making you feel strangely alone but far more uncomfortable for other reasons...

You are in a cage in the ceiling of a 50 ft tall room, with a large over bearing pillar in the center. the opening of the cage, and functionally the bottom, is angled just slightly away from the center pillar. The bars are wrought iron and there was a lock on the cage door, but it has been melted shut like a candle at the end of it's life. You can't see each other, but you might be able to see each other's hands.

The cage is hardly large enough to sit in, and the angle of the cage is too sharp to find a comfortable sitting position regardless. Occasional, random Flukes of flame erupt from the pillar and make the room unbearably hot.

Wandering slowly back and forth in the room is an Ettin, Meanie in Service of Dykrone, the Elder Dragon of the walking siege. The Ettin is without his helmet, curiously - unlike most of Dykrone's minions, but his body is like most Ettins you've ever encountered. His left side is facing one way, his right side is facing the opposite. He has one neck with one head and two faces opposite of one another.

They are speaking in giant to themselves and seem to be largely in discourse about which way is actually clockwise around the room. One side seems to be largely composed of burning lumps of coal and sharp jagged pieces of metal, while the other seems to be made of mud and steam.

The erratic movement and the fact that he literally has eyes on the back of his head, will make sneaking out of the cages very difficult...

[Xenoph0n]

Estella of Chelen | Played By Xenoph0n
Bard (College of Lore)/Sorcerer (Divine Soul)
HP: 93/93 | AC: 12
Saves: -2/+6/+8/+5/+5/+9
Spell save DC: 17
Passive perception: 20
Passive investigation: 28
Resistances: Radiant, necrotic

Estella, noticing the hands of her fellow princesses, speaks quietly to them. Her clear voice cuts through the torrid air. "Well, this is certainly quite the situation. May I have the honor of knowing who my companions are?"

[Illven]

"I am Princess Alexandria von Dragonstongue." The tall redhead pipes up.

"Wizard extraordinaire, if I can get enough room to cast." She admits with a judicious frown.

[bc56]

"Uuurgh." Sekhmet awoke groggily. Her entire body ached. She looked around when she heard a voice asking her name. With a sheepish expression, she adjusted her raven hair, running her hand along her horns as she did so, and replied, "Call me Sek." Standing and smoothing out her deep blue dress, she walked towards the cage door, sliding the lenses of her tiara over her eyes and peering at the fused lock. Perhaps with the enhanced vision it grants, she can see a weak point?

Spoiler: actions

Show

I'm going to use the Eyes of Minute Seeing to try to find a weakness in the lock, if that's appropriate/applicable.
Investigation check, if necessary/possible
(1d20+5)[24] or (1d20+5)[24] (advantage)

[JNAProductions]

Spoiler: Character Details

Show

Elely | Played by JNAProductions
Devotion Paladin/Open Hand Monk
HP: 104/104 | AC 20
Saves: Str +15, Dex +12, Con +10, Int +6, Wis +8, Cha +15
Immunities: Poisons and Diseases, Charmed

Elely of Iop, Elely says in response. She eyes the Ettin, and whispers to her companions Okay-I'll start talking to him. Once he's distracted, one of you start the fight, and then I'll punch him.

[Xenoph0n]

Elely of Iop, Elely says in response. She eyes the Ettin, and whispers to her companions Okay-I'll start talking to him. Once he's distracted, one of you start the fight, and then I'll punch him.

Spoiler: Character Details

Show

Estella of Chelen | Played By Xenoph0n
Bard (College of Lore)/Sorcerer (Divine Soul)
HP: 93/93 | AC: 12
Saves: -2/+2/+8/+5/+5/+9
Spell save DC: 17
Passive perception: 20
Passive investigation: 28
Resistances: Radiant, necrotic

"Have you considered how you're going to get out of these cages? Rather hard to punch someone when you can't reach them", Estella replies. She then starts to check her cage for any possible weak spots or faults.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Estella's passive investigation is 28, but if I need a roll then:
[roll0]

Edit: Seems that I messed up the roller. I rolled it again in OOC.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"Locks and doors are made to be opened," says a voice with a coastal accent from an otherwise silent cage. "To take that away from them damages them..."

...it seems too awkward to introduce herself right now.

Strange that the monsters could bring her all the way here in her sleep but could not remove her magic tiara. Perhaps the divine binding ritual really does matter. Were some of the other captives wearing armor to bed, too? Lerisa has to admire their vigilance, she could never get comfortable enough to sleep in that stuff.

Anyway, damaged lock. She whispers something too soft to be heard over the roaring fire pillar. A globe of water collects in her hands, which extend their natural webbing in response. No time to just sit here and enjoy that feeling, though. She directs the water to suffuse the lock and probes its innards. Her usual method of shaping it into an ice key might not work, but if the lock is half-melted already, it might just crack in half if she freezes it quickly.

Spoiler

Show

Using the tiara to summon some water, then using Shape Water as her own brand of Thieves' Tools.

(1d20)[2]+13 if it's okay to use Dex or Wisdom.
(1d20)[17]+13 as a second roll if she has disadvantage. (...or advantage, considering the lock is quite literally broken what with the melting.)

[Son of A Lich!]

Sekmeht starts to examine the locks and finds that they have been melted solid, like they were made of wet clay and squeezed in a tight fist.

While the Joints are still in tact, even if they were removed or circumvented, the solid lock would keep the rest of the door in place. and removing the door would likely cause you to drop to the floor (Note that the door is the floor of your cell).

---

Estella notices that the rock the rest of the cell is made of seems to have have been made soft. Examining the outside of the cell, you can tell where the stone was once mud briefly, and the ripples at the base of the cage bars show where it was pressed into the walls.

The bursts of fire from the center column seem to make the air significantly thinner - the room is either Airtight or there is no other escape from the room itself. With no air, it will likely subside in due time... but also suffocate everyone inside.

---

Lerisa uses her ice picks, er lock picks, er... ice-lock picks but quickly realizes that any bits that she can touch aren't actually turning tumblers. While not solid, its so warped and twisted that it may as well be.

Spoiler: Ruling

Show

I'm ruling that those are improvised lock picks, and going with your original roll. Disadvantage for the improvised tools, advantage for the damaged lock.

[Maloney]

[Character Sheet]

Barbarella rises silently in the dark, locating the lock on her cage, calmly examining it, and then in a fraction of a second she brings her fist down upon it, attempting to snap it in two.

(1d20)[18] plus 9 for strength or plus 5 for unarmed attack

[Son of A Lich!]

Barbella slams her fist down on the cage door and it immediately snaps open with the joints giving way and the cage door bending at it's lock.

Spoiler

Show

Can you make a dexterity check to catch yourself from falling (DC 15) or, if you want to fall, acrobatics an acrobatics check to land in a superhero three point landing (Or failing that, your backside and hurting your tailbone).

And a Stealth check if you don't want to be seen falling to the ground / breaking out (I'm going to assume you did your best to avoid being seen while punching the cage door). I'm going to place this at the Ettin's passive Perception, so DC 18.

[bc56]

Sekhmet fumbles at the vials on her belt, withdrawing two of them, one filled with cloudy white liquid, and the other with bubbling green slime. She gulps down the cloudy fluid and feels her weight simply drop away. She pushes off the floor of the cell, twisting so her face and arms are pointing downward, and uncorks the other vial, smearing the green slime onto the lock, where it bubbles and hisses, trying to eat away at the twisted metal.

Spoiler: actions

Show

Casting Fly on myself, then casting acid splash on the lock.
(1d6+5)[11] acid damage. I assume it fails its Dex save.

[Izzarra]

"Alara Raydawn of Ravenwood at your service." her voice has a higher pitch as if from a human teenager.

She reaches up to touch the Tiara of the Wild, which appears to be carved from oak and is adorned with filigree and images of wild animals with an elk as the centerpiece, and grows claws using its power as she takes in her surroundings and smells the air.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Checking to see if there is anything other then the Ettin in the vicinity.
Anything on the floor to hide behind?
Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
(1d20+5)[12]
(1d20+5)[16]

Spoiler: Character

Show

Alara Raydawn | Played By Izzarra
Class: Celestial Warlock / Class Oath of Ancients Paladin
HP: (94/94) | Temp HP: (14) | AC: 16 (17 when dual wielding)
Saves: [Str -1 (+3)] / [Dex +4 (+8)] / [Con +3 (+7)] / [Int +2 (+6)] / [Wis +5 (+9)] / [Chr +8 (+12)] [Regular (Aura of Protection)]
Resistances/Immunities: Resistance Radiant damage, Resistance Spell damage, Immunity magic sleep effects, Immunity disease, Immunity fear, advantage against being charmed.
*Several Resistances/Immunities listed effect all friendly creatures within 10 ft, but only when Alara is conscious.

Character sheet link: Alara Raydawn the Celestial Warlock / Oath of Ancients Paladin

[Son of A Lich!]

As sekht's acid is burning through the remains of the lock, everyone in the chamber hears a barbaric clambering as the door of Barbarella's cage flings open and she falls the ground with the grace and style of a well polished stone - landing with a thud on her backside and a throbbing pain up her spine.

The Ettin's head shakes for a second (Both sides wanting to get a look as to who it was) as he lumbers around to where Barbarella fell.

Spoiler: Repercussions

Show

(5d6)[15] and prone.

along the outside edge of the wall are racks of weapons and armor that almost blend into the wall itself - they seem to be made of the same stone as the walls or perhaps pulled from the walls somehow.

[Maloney]

Barbarella stands at the door, waiting for her captor to arrive. As they do, the Tiara of Protection begins to glow, its pearl inlay making a bright white. Barbarella opens her mouth and makes a Royal Decree to free her fellow captors, hoping that they can fight alongside her.

"Unhand me!"

Spoiler

Show

As an action, you can immediately escape from a grapple or free yourself from a restraint. Your force of will is so powerful that even inanimate objects respond to this Decree. If you are being held prisoner, any guard hearing this Decree must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to free you and any of your companions that are imprisoned with you. DC: 15.

I'm attempting to get the locks to release themselves and maybe get anybody nearby to help break the Princesses out. If I could take a second action while that's ongoing, I'll summon Tieri to appear in the opening in the middle of the cages and go to mount her.

[bc56]

Sekhmet drops out of the cage, stretching her sore limbs and taking a deep breath. She notices how thin the air is; either they're high up or the flaming pillar is consuming their air supply. The heat doesn't bother her much, so she glides towards the pillar, looking for anything that might be a way to shut it off.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

It was probably too much to ask for this to be easy. With her proper tools all left at home, she'll have to get creative. How did the miners' rock-breaking trick work again?

Meanwhile, Lerisa watches two other world leaders drop from their cells. The tall and roguish one wasn't prepared (oof) but the tiefling seems to have a decent handle on... something.

"Miss Sek? I might be able to put it out, but I don't have a good angle from here..."

Spoiler

Show

Trying again on the lock with her bonus action, now that she recognizes the setback:
(1d20)[10]+13 again

[bc56]

Sekhmet turns to the princess who said she could put out the fire. "Uh, ok?" She's surprised. Normally people can't overlook her appearance. She is a Meanie, after all, and it takes effort to tolerate that. She flies to the cage. "Hold still, I'm going to catch you." She holds out a red-skinned hand, sliding a leather falconry glove from one of her pockets onto it, and whistles softly so as to not attract attention. A metal bird appears, about the size of a pigeon, and alights on the gloved hand. "Take out the lock, Quicksilver." As Sekhmet prepares to catch the other princess, the bird flies to the lock and begins vomiting acid onto it, a weaker variety than Sekhmet used herself.

Spoiler: actions

Show

Acid damage on lock (1d6+4)[7]
This is the Homunculus' acid spit attack, so it's right.
If an attack roll is necessary (1d20+6)[8] to hit.

Sekhmet prepares to catch Lerisa if she falls out of the cage.

[Storyteller_Arc]

She was captured.

Roselyn. Outcast of Kestrye. Was captured. Not just be an ordinary group of Meanies. But by an actual Elder Dragon itself. Waking up in a highly uncomfortable cage. After having been bound up by screaming vines of all things. And then coming to the realization that she had been captured alongside Princesses of other kingdoms. Not one Princess. From one kingdom. But several Princesses. From several kingdoms. Meaning that Roselyn had likely been mistaken for a Princess herself. By a Heart’s damn Elder Dragon.

Great. Just. Great.

Seeing no reason to introduce herself to the others at this time, Roselyn stayed quite. Curious to see how the others would attempt to free themselves from this situation. Hearing how one suggested they distracted their guard, to allow the others to free themselves, then join the fight after. This was meant with some discussion before one of the captured Princess just escaped from their cage all of a sudden and fell to the floor! Still, this did distract the Ettin quite a bit, meaning that he didn’t notice as another Princess freed themselves... and Roselyn started in surprise at their appearance. A Tielfing? A Meanie?! But, they had to be a Princess, right? That was why they were all captured? She recalled having overheard vague murmurings from her supposed teachers back at Kestrye, about how they might be able to break a dragon’s hold over a Meanie. But that was said to be risky, and highly hypothetical, without any grounding in this world. Yet, here she was, staring at a Meanie Princess to her uttermost amazement.

Regardless. Whilst she was surrounded by all these Princesses. Roselyn was determined not to allow herself to get shown up! Hence she would give the cage door a firm punch herself... but more importantly, she would focus a burst of magic into the blow in order to blow this damn cage wide open! And unlike the other one, who fell right onto the floor. Roselyn was already prepared to shift into a more, comfortable form, and charge this Ettin!

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Using 1 of my 1st level spell slots to use Divine Smite on the door.
Damage - (2d8)[13]