The Abandoned Pyramid (DM Jerry) Monday July 23rd, 2001 4:20:25 PM
Truly one of the most remarkable structures in all of Plateau City, the Abandoned Pyramid rises some 800' into the air and also looks to be about that distance on each of its three sides. The city has put walls around it in case it ever caused major trouble. This almost has the effect of putting it in its own Quarter of the City along with the Foreign Market, although, officially, it is a part of Foreign Quarter as far as maps and taxes are concerned.
The party passes through the marketplace with its empty stalls and closed tents. Gypsy campfires abound.
The entrance is a grand one on the east side. Two huge doors are on this side, each 100' tall.
There is definitely a dwarfing feeling when looking up at this structure.
The top third of the pyramid is shaped a bit differently as each of the three corners are flattened. On the very top of the pyramid is a triangular spire with the walls curved in a concave fashion. The spire is bright silver in color and sparkles in the moonlight.
Sontra (Sunblaze) d20+5=20 Monday July 23rd, 2001 8:37:33 PM
As he walks, Sontra places his Ioun stones over his head. They merely float, but he enjoys them.
Sontra walks along, amazed by the buildings. "It's as if we've stepped into a new part of the Wold. Amazing..." His eyes wander around, and then return to the pyramid.
"Let us begin our jobs..." He pulls his sword out and prepares to battle. His ears seem peaked up, like a cat's (Listen Check 20).
Arien Monday July 23rd, 2001 9:37:16 PM
"Hmm, let's get in and out quickly if we can. Although I doubt it is possible. The flyer maker at this point is a side issue, an important one to be sure, but now we must stop them from enacting this rite, which if I know how these things go will either be powered by a magical device we must steal or a powerful being we must slay, so let's get this over with." Arien checks his various weapons and equipment while the group approaches the temple.
Draax Monday July 23rd, 2001 10:12:58 PM
Draax looks at the impressive building, his mind wonders about the amount of SoDs that could be hiding in the place. Thinking about accomplishing their task brings to mind the image of a needle in a haystack. Thinking about the opportunity to kill Dreads brings a smile to his face.
"OK, do we knock or just go in? They did invite us to visit."
Renik Tuesday July 24th, 2001 5:43:15 AM
Turning to Rond Renik says "Well, here we are. And mighty imposing here is, too. How do you want to play this? Do you want me invisible and scouting ahead along the ceiling? If so I'd best drink this invisibility potion and get in position above the entrance."
He awaits Rond's battleplan, scanning the area ahead for any sign of guards or defenses.
Rond Tuesday July 24th, 2001 9:37:21 AM
Hissing at Sontra, "Put sword that away. You want to advertise to the whole world that we're the ones going to invade the temple? Or to put the guards on the lookout, if there are any?"
Looking to Damocles, "I forgot that we need to get you those lenses of the eagles. Can you go in a couple of ever smaller circles around the temple, and see if you can see anything from above? Go close enough to see whether there might be any other way, other than the front door. Do not go closer unless you have to, since they are magic users, and we do not know what they are capable of." (OOC: Aerial reconnasaince, I like it. Now hop to it MARINE! ;) )
Looking at the rest of the group, "I want to see if there are any outside guards, first. The first step is just to get inside without setting off the alarm, if we can. I'll plan accordingly after that. If there is only one or two guards at the entrance here is what I want to consider." Looking at Draax, "Since you are disguised, let's see about using that to our advantage. You lead Renik in as if he's your prisoner. If questioned, see how believable an escape story you can make up. Say Renik was your caretaker, and you held him at knife point to get out. If you can get past the guards with no communication to the inside of the temple, then get out of sight, and take the guards out from behind. We'll be watching from out front, so if you get into trouble, signal by taking off your hat and bowing, or something just as suitable. Either way, we'll come as soon as we see.
"This is all after we get some word from Damocles as to what may be in or around the temple.
"Keep in mind: Avoid using names as much as possible. If you have an idea that is not a part of the plan, voice the idea, and let me decide. Do not charge off on some idea, assuming that we will follow." Giving the hairy eyeball to Sontra. (OOC ;) ).
(OOC: Final price checks, and cash reserve checks, and I'll give some more overall details.)
Damocles Tuesday July 24th, 2001 10:20:28 AM
The priest of Alemi nods, and his wardrobe transforms into an ornate black suit of armor, no decorative markings on it, but shaped to look foreboding. His helm closes in around his head and he pushes his huge white wings into the sky. "I shall let you know what I can find," he states, hovering above the group, and then with great pumps of his wings begins to make wide circles of the tower, staying about a hundred and fifty feet from the tower, but trying to note whatever movement on the surface, or lights inside, that he can.
Chanting [DM Jerry] Wednesday July 25th, 2001 1:06:13 PM
Sontra hears chanting from inside the pyramid. It makes her shiver. The sounds are evil in their intonation. It's as if hundreds of mages were all casting the same spell at the same time.
Damocles circles the pyramid several times and spots no guards at all. Strange.
Sontra (Sunblaze) Wednesday July 25th, 2001 3:03:32 PM
Sontra whispers to the group. "Something evil, or... I don't know. But they are doing something. It's almost like a spell..." He looks at Rond for a moment. "My sword shall go away, but my scrolls shall not." He grabs out a piece of parchment, old and battered (flaming sphere) and another, this one clean (Protection from Arrows).
"One of these shall guide darts and bolts away from thee, and the other makes a flaming ball. I prefer that one." A smile comes to his face, and he looks around, walking along.
(OOC: Soon I'm going to be on vacation for two weeks. I don't know the exact date, but I'll get it to you soon. Can anyobdy post for Sunblaze/Sontra while I'm gone?)
Arien Thursday July 26th, 2001 3:31:47 AM
"Ah yes," Arien drawls when Sunblaze describes the scroll of flaming sphere. "I know that one, its a favorite of mine actually. If you like sometime I can teach it to you, in fact perhaps if we survive this we can trade spells a bit."
Renik Thursday July 26th, 2001 6:50:40 AM
"Well, no visible guards (although that does not mean there are not invisible ones, or alarms). I suppose we should make our entrance then, eh?" He grins round at the others as they lurk in the shadows across from the pyramid.
"If there are no guards to deceive at the door, how about I approach the building alone, invisible, then climb to a position above the door (where any waiting guards will be unlikely to check), and use the chime of opening to get us in? That way I can scout ahead along the ceiling, and if there are any guards lurking, we should get the drop on them."
Renik looks to Rond for approval or an alternate plan, wondering what unholy evil the mages within are perpetrating.
Rond Thursday July 26th, 2001 6:50:53 AM
"Let's get the non-detection in place now, before we get any closer. Whoever can use these, will you help casts these on everyone?"
Once the casting is done.
"Renik, why don't you go in for closer perimeter inspection. Use the invisibility potion. I'm thinking that if the outside is still all clear, that at the entrance, is when we should get the shield spell going. If the outside is clear, then we proceed in with Renik in the lead. We want to do this quick, so if a door or lock slows you down Renik, use the chime. Once the invisibility wears out (ooc do we know how long?), then we'll be closer behind you."
"I want the marching order as follows: Renik, me, Sontra, Arien, Damocles, Draax. If we go two wide, then Sontra/Arien, and Damocles/Draax."
"Any questions?"
If no questions, we'll proceed as outlined.
Renik (Again, sorry! Missed a bit) Thursday July 26th, 2001 6:56:12 AM
Renik hands back the Shield and Nondetection scrolls. "I'm sorry, I've never learned how to read scrolls. Perhaps someone could cast these on me at the appropriate time."
Draax Thursday July 26th, 2001 4:22:04 PM
Draax listens to the ideas and the final plan. He take a small rock and after washing it off he puts it in his mouth, pushes it against the inside of his mouth with his tongue and begins to mumble as he practices talking with it in his mouth. He removes the rock and says to his comrades. "If I have to use the guard disguise and talk to anyone I want to make sure that they will notice that my voice does not fit the face." He wraps the rock in cloth and puts it in his pocket for when he needs it.
Answering Rond's question about questions, Draax replies, "No questions here, I am as ready as I will be."
The Doors of Blood (DM Jerry) Thursday July 26th, 2001 4:39:48 PM
The chanting stops for a minute. The doors suddenly glow a bit red and pulse 3 times. Then they stop. A feeling of evil energy washes over you and then passes.
The chanting starts again.
Rond Friday July 27th, 2001 9:01:06 AM
(Assuming we're all at the doors and shield and non-detections spells have been cast) Rond whispers, "Let's get this on the Rond. Renik, lead us in."
Damocles Friday July 27th, 2001 9:20:27 AM
Damocles nods to those below and lands, his wings folding up behind him. "Justicar is ready" he says, brandishing his heavy mace. "We shall eliminate the threat... we should do it soon." He seems a bit unnerved by the pulsing doors and pauses for a moment. "We should do it very soon."
Renik d20+12=22 Friday July 27th, 2001 10:01:25 AM
Renik too is somewhat concerned by the pulsing doors. What nefarious new magic is this?
Still, they must proceed. First he lifts the hood of his cloak of Elvenkind over his head, causing him to fade somewhat into the background. Then he gulps down the invisibility potion, and feels a slight tingle as the Shield and Nondetection spells take effect (I too am assuming these have been cast on me).
As he fades from sight Renik scoots up the side of the pyramid until he is positioned above the door. Then, once his companions are ready, he removes the Chime of Opening from his pack, and aims it at the door, activating it.
Assuming the doors swing open, he scuttles into the passageway, as quietly as he is able (Move Silently DC 22), hanging invisibly upside down from the ceiling courtesy of his Spider Climb slippers.
He scans the corridor for hostiles before returning to the others and letting them know what to expect.
Sontra (Sunblaze) Friday July 27th, 2001 2:57:48 PM
Sontra casts the necesary spells on Renik before he leaves, and awaits his return. To be safe, he walks over to the door, and walks to above it. So that if an enemy comes out, Sontra can jump on top of them quickly.
He looks to Rond, as if awaiting approval.
Arien Friday July 27th, 2001 4:01:33 PM
While Renik is scouting the corridor Arien does a last minute check of his equipment. He checks his quiver, the string on his bow and his other weapons. Once his is satisfied with them he mentally reviews what spells he has memorized.
After he is done he climbs up next to Sunblaze and asks, "What spells do you have memorized for this little event tonight? Most of my spells are for combat, I do have a few basic spells for detecting magic and the like as well as Mage Armor for protection."
Sontra (Sunblaze) Friday July 27th, 2001 4:25:18 PM
Sontra quickly goes through his memory and checks what spells he has. "Light...Fake Sound, Sunblaze's Mark, Detect Magic three times, Read Magic, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Ray of Enfeeblement, Sleep, Sunblaze's Hidden Servant, Go Invisible... I have that twice, Forever Burning Flame, Light again, and another Read magic. I also have 2 Stinky Cloud Spells, 3 Flaming Spheres, and 2 Protection from Arrows. Take one of each... I won't be able to cast them all."
Draax Friday July 27th, 2001 4:41:49 PM
When the chime causes the door to open, Draax moves a little to the side so that he is not standing directly in front of the door. He puts his hand on his sword ready to pull it if anything is on the other side waiting for them. Thinking out loud, Draax says in a soft voice, "I hope the chanting means that they are all concentrated in one place and that place is not where we need to go." Draax shrugs his shoulders as if it does not really matter. He knows that the group will do whatever it takes to accomplish their mission.
Open Sesame (DM Jerry) Saturday July 28th, 2001 12:12:02 AM
The doors shake once, twice, and a third time. The chime also vibrates. The two fight each other for a time. Then with a loud tinkling sound, the chime shatters as if made of glass sending shards in all directions.
The shards sting, but don't do damage unless rubbed.
The doors stand still and closed.
Then silently they swing open about 6 inches.
[Thanks for being such a great group. Donna takes over on Monday. Good Luck.]
Sontra (Sunblaze) Sunday July 29th, 2001 8:37:07 PM
(OOC: I'll be gone from Friday the third until at least Friday the 17th. Bill will be talking over for me... All glad that you get a good writer?)
Sontra, when seeing the Chime break, merely wonders if he could fix it. Not much caring about the money spent for it, nor about the door opening.
He pulls a piece or two from his arms and puts them in his haversack. He jumps down, and gathers the rest, placing them too in his bag.
His mind continues to review his spells. They'll need to be cast quickly, in the heat of battle. He pulls out an Ioun Stone, holding it tightly, within his hand, letting the magic become part of his own. Placing it on the ground, he lets a spell go, onto it (Continual Flame). It comes to life with fire, giving off light, but not heat.
Renik d20+12=31 d20+2=5 Monday July 30th, 2001 6:36:39 AM
Well, so much for the Chime of Opening. At least the door is open...
Invisible, he makes his way into the corridor, his slippers of Spider Climbing fixing him firmly to the ceiling. He scouts ahead some distance, moving as quietly as possible (Move Silent DC 31) keeping an eye out for hostiles or potential traps (Spot DC 5; oh dear!). Once he has an idea of the interior layout, he reports back to his comrades.
(OOC: Welcome Donna, nice to have you with us! Try not to kill us all too soon, OK? ;-)
Rond Monday July 30th, 2001 9:47:39 AM
Rond wonders about whether the group would have gotten in without the chime, or whether this bodes not so well for the group, if someone is letting us in. As per plan, Rond waits for Renik to scout ahead, and report back.
Draax Monday July 30th, 2001 2:28:10 PM
As a reflex Draax puts his arm up to protect his face as the chime shatters. When the door opens he waits for the onslaught of enemies that never comes. Relaxing a little, he watches Renik enter the temple and waits with the others for the signal to enter.
Pyramid Scheme (DM Donna) Monday July 30th, 2001 3:44:29 PM
As his teammates wait anxiously without, Renik enters the area beyond the barely-opened portal, having to push at least one of the doors further open in order to do so.
(Renik needs to roll a Move Silently check--but it's to see if the door he pushes open does so silently, or if it crrrrrrrreeeeeaks open, so the DC is 10, but Renik can't apply any Dexterity bonus to the roll, since Renik's personal Dexterity doesn't effect the door. Any Ranks in that skill [magical or earned] MAY be applied, however.)
Outside, the stillness of the night, coupled with the intensity of having to fulfill this mission, begins to weigh heavily on the other Windhorn Hamleteers.
(The rest of you lot need to roll a Listen check versus DC 15 in order to hear a potentially ominous rustling sound... those who roll 19 or more can orient on the sound and opt to go check out the source--which will then require a successful Spot check of 15 or more.)
Damocles d20+5=18 Monday July 30th, 2001 9:34:40 PM
Damocles pricks his ears up at a sound in the distance, trying to orient on it. He puts a finger to his lips as if to shush the rest of the group.
Rond (Ponzi, or not Ponzi?) d20+2=17 Monday July 30th, 2001 10:13:13 PM
Hearing something at the same time as Damocles, Rond looks at Damocles and tries to figure out what direction the sound comes from.
If it is something from outside of the temple, Rond is ready to blend into the background, in order to see what it is. Rond is also prepared to get people to move out from the doorway, if necessary.
Sontra(Sunblaze) d20+5=15 d100=47 Monday July 30th, 2001 10:53:15 PM
Sontra faintly hears a noise emanating from what appears to be all around him. Not knowing where it's from, he holds his stone tightly, preparing for a battle even before they have entered the temple.
His voice makes a small noise, to the group, but all that was heard was, "...trouble..."
Draax d20+1=11 Monday July 30th, 2001 11:58:05 PM
As his companion starts becoming alert and looking around. Draax tries to looks around and listen for anything out of place. Not getting any clues to what set the rest of the group off, Draax looks at them puzzled, but trusting their instincts he immediately prepares himself for trouble. Seeing Damocles put his finger to his lips, Draax looks at him and silently mouths the word, “What?”. Hearing Sunblaze’s comment about trouble, Draax quickly looks up at the bard, hoping that by doing so he will get some idea of where the danger might come from.
Arien d20=15 Tuesday July 31st, 2001 1:22:10 AM
As Arien waits tensely for Renik to return with news of the interior Arien dimly hears a rustling noise, but ignores it as he waits.
Renik (Invisible, Upside Down) d20+8=17 d20+4=14 d20+12=13 Tuesday July 31st, 2001 4:09:06 AM
Renik gently eases the great door open without a sound (Move Silent 17), and slips inside. He doesn't notice the sounds that have got his companions so nervous (Listen 14), instead proceeding along the ceiling of the pyramid interior, getting information about the layout before reporting back to his companions. His first step, however, dislodges a small stone in the ceiling, that falls to the corridor below (Move Silent 13, natural roll of 1: Aaarrgghh!)
Things That Go "Bump" in the Night (DM Donna) Tuesday July 31st, 2001 6:45:08 AM
Outside the pyramid, the desperately-seeking-silence party freezes as nearby rustling is heard by them, but its source isn't immediately apparent...until the tiny form of a roguester (the Woldian equivalent of a racoon) comes creeping into view, half-dragging along with it some discarded food product with wrapping paper still partially stuck to it. The critter stops once it becomes aware of the party, its dark eyes blinking within its mask. Then the roguester ambles quickly off in another direction, not wishing the people it has encountered to take away its stealthily-gotten booty.
Inside the large entry chamber, Renik is standing on the ceiling and taking deep (but silent) breaths in an effort to calm his anxiety. Eventually he realizes that there is nobody inside this room but himself.
The room is trapezoidal in shape--it roughly parallels the exterior walls of the pyramid; the wall with the exterior doors in the middle of it is about three hundred feet long, the wall opposite it, however, is only one hundred feet long, and the room roughly one hundred feet deep. Opposite the exterior doors is another doorway...arched, open and of a lesser scale--about twenty feet wide by twenty-five feet high.
The walls of the entry chamber are adorned by bas-relief painted with faded colors. The partially-three-dimensional pictures probably depict life at the time of the pyramid's construction or some such, but Renik can't tell from 115 feet in the air (and upside-down, to boot!)
Sconces with guttering torches dot the walls every 20 feet or so. There is a small pile of partially-crumbled stone blocks sprinkled in one corner of the room. There is the musty smell that permeates the air...and the chanting definitely sounds louder from the arched doorway.
Renik (Invisible, Upside Down) d20+12=23 d20+2=19 d20+12=26 Tuesday July 31st, 2001 9:50:24 AM
Renik makes his way quietly (Move Silently 23) across the ceiling, until he is in a position to poke his head under the top of the doorframe on the far wall.
From this covered location he peers about, trying to make out how many mages are visible, where they are located, and what they are up to. In particular he tries to make out anything that might be generating the flyers (Spot 19).
Once this information is gathered he makes his way back to the remainder of the group to report his findings, ensuring that he continues to move across the ceiling with care (Move Silent 26).
Draax Tuesday July 31st, 2001 11:28:42 AM
Draax follows the others' eyes to the animal; he lets out a breath that he did not realize that he was holding. He smiles and then frowns as he looks at the sword in his hand that he does not remember drawing. Putting the sword back in his sheath, Draax waits patiently for Renik to return with the scouting report.
Rond Tuesday July 31st, 2001 2:04:08 PM
Quickly pin-pointing the source of the noise, Rond lets himself relax a slight bit. He thinks to himself, "If only life were that simple." Turning back to the matter at hand, Rond tries to wait patiently for Renik to return.
In an attempt to stay calm, Rond quickly casts a glance over every person in the group, to make sure they are all accounted for.
Sontra (Sunblaze) d20+5=14 Tuesday July 31st, 2001 5:28:35 PM
As Sontra sees the roguester, he looks somewhat angry. His wished it was 'trouble'. He looks at the group, making sure that they are still ready.
Sontra makes sure the group is quiet and attempts to hear the sounds around him (Listen Check: 9 +1rank, +2wis, +2race= 14.)
He places the Ioun Stone upon his head, and it rotates around it. He smiles faintly, knowing that his magic will eventully do better than this.
Damocles Tuesday July 31st, 2001 11:11:29 PM
Damocles unfurls his wings and soars to a nearby wall, sticking on that, once he does and smiling to Renik on the ceiling. He looks down at the figure below his feet, trying to make out exactly what it is.
Behind Doorway #2 (DM Donna) Wednesday August 1st, 2001 6:48:47 AM
Renik crosses the ceiling and down about ninety feet of wall before getting into a position where he can peek through the arched doorway into the room beyond the entry chamber. Although it is rather weird for him to view the tableau upside-down, he can see that it is 100 feet square, with a ceiling similar in height to the one that graces the entry chamber, and torches in sconces that illuminate its area also. There is an intricate, stone-and-metalwork circular stairway that runs upward towards the ceiling and downwards through an opening in the floor. The stairs are about twenty feet in diameter. Opposite the archway Renik is peeking through is a similar archway.
Renik can definitely tell that the chanting--though still unintelligible--is louder from this room.
Draax Wednesday August 1st, 2001 8:40:39 AM
Draax stands to the side of the opened door waiting for Renik to return or something else to get their attention. He smiles at his reaction to the small animal. He realizes that it was not the appearance of the roguester that has him jumpy. The real reason that he is on edge is the lack of guards, he just can't bring himself to believe that the entrance would be unguarded. "Whispering in a small voice his says to himself, "This just does not feel right. Where is the security? Magic cannot be their only protection."
Rond Wednesday August 1st, 2001 9:11:39 AM
Rond continues to wait for Renik to return with a scouting report. As Damocles takes to the air, anyone watching can see the flash of anger cross over Rond's face. After a few seconds, Rond shrugs his shoulders as if to say 'sae la vie'. (sp?) ('c'est la vie' (Kim))
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=14 d20+12=29 d20+2=16 Wednesday August 1st, 2001 10:52:57 AM
Renik considers continuing further inside the pyramid, but decides instead to favour caution. If he is somehow spotted, this far from his companions he will surely be slain. He returns quietly to the front door (move silent 14), and his disembodied voice says to his waiting companions;
"The first chamber would seem to be empty. If you all follow me across the ceiling we should be safe from any traps. There is a doorway on the far wall. If you wait for me there, on the wall and out of sight, I will investigate further. From what I have seen there is another chamber beyond the first, with a spiral staircase leading to a chamber above and another below. Also there is another doorway on the far side of the room. I heard the chanting louder in that second chamber, but as yet I have seen no guards or mages. Be on your guard though; they may well have invisible guards themselves."
If the rest of the party are in agreement he sets off back to the doorway to the second chamber, and enters (move silent 29). Still keeping to the ceiling he makes his way across the chamber, avoiding the stairway, and checks to see what is visible through the next doorway (Spot 16).
Sontra (Sunblaze) Wednesday August 1st, 2001 5:03:34 PM
Sontra pulls out his Flaming Sphere scroll, and places it in one of his scroll cases, within his robe. It's there for easy retrieval, when the battle breaks out.
Sontra listens to Renik and then follows him into the large vast building, wondering what dangers await him and his companions as they go into the heart of what seemed to be heart of the evil, at least one of its many hearts.
Damocles Thursday August 2nd, 2001 12:04:55 AM
Damocles continues his travel, moving sluggishly along the wall. He flies to the middle of the room and pulls off his slippers, replacing them with his more familiar boots. (Changed back into boots of striding and springing)
Arien Thursday August 2nd, 2001 12:23:01 AM
Arien waits for his turn and then follows the others into the temple.
Did YOU Hear Something..??? (DM Donna) d20=13 d20=20 d20=4 d20=3 d20=12 d20=6 Thursday August 2nd, 2001 6:34:38 AM
The rest of the party follows Renik back into the eerie confines of the entry chamber. The musty smell of ages gone by is in the air and the chanting voices are louder from the doorway opposite the entrance into the pyramid.
Renik sees nothing in the second room--the one with the circular stairs. Rond, however, as he stealthily approaches the archway, orients on the origin of the chanting...
...the voices are floating UP, from the unknown depths below the party's present location. The sonorious yet malevolent mantra continues.
Rond Thursday August 2nd, 2001 8:05:49 AM
As the group proceeds across the top of the room, Rond lightly hisses at everyone. When he gets their attention, he gets them to gather closely around him. Whispering, "It sound like to me, that the mages are directly below us. I think we should investigate the floor, and see if it's real. That might be one reason why there are no guards. Anyone with rope? I'd like Renik to investigate, with him tied off to one of us up here, in case something happens.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=22 d20+2=20 d20+4=8 Thursday August 2nd, 2001 8:37:34 AM
Invisibly Renik nods. Crouching against the ceiling so that his pack is the right way up, he unfurls a 50' length of and ties one end firmly around his waist. The other end he hands to Rond. He whispers in Rond's ear; "As you can't see me, one tug for danger, 2 tugs for follow me. OK?" He waits for a response, then moves off. As he moves away the rope becomes visible some 10' behind him. He proceeds down the right hand wall, and prods at the floor with his rapier before proceeding.
Assuming the floor turns out to be solid, Renik creeps towards the staircase (Move Silent 22), keeping an eye out for any sign of movement. If nothing bars his progress he will try to peer down the stairs (Spot 20) and make out what the chanting is about (Listen 8).
Sontra (Sunblaze) Thursday August 2nd, 2001 5:09:09 PM
Sontra watches Rond and Renik whispering, and understands what's going on. "Someone else should go with him, I do not doubt Renik's talents, but alone, he could get killed. If someone went with, at least they might have a chance." His voice is calm and quiet, yet he seems disturbed.
"I can make another two of us invisible right now, so that we can help him. Also... oh nevermind. If we live I can worry about it." He rubs his ring, knowing the magic in it is unable to get to him, but still he tries. His eyes closed, Sontra sits, upside down, letting the magic of the temple, of his items and of the Wold flow through him, giving him strength to bend the magic to create spells.
Arien Saturday August 4th, 2001 12:10:53 AM
As Renik descends down the stairway Arien positions himself above it so that he might cover Renik should he need to make a hasty retreat.
Sontra / Sunblaze (Kim) d20+2=5 Saturday August 4th, 2001 11:39:30 PM
As the inverted meditation goes on, Marcus' words come back to Sunblaze. All her companions are out of disguise, and she is the only one retaining hers. This could link the two groups. Thinking to herself, 'Shall I change now, or not?' Sontra looks about, trying to sense whether they are being watched.
[Wisdom check 5 vs DC 15.] Figuring no one outside of her friends is watching at the moment, Sunblaze takes a few moments to return to her own self. Sunblaze, the bard and mage. She'll save Sontra for when she's ... on her other job. She shakes out her long hair, then ties it in a ponytail with a bit of cloth.
As she does this, some of the words of the scroll that Patriarch Orotai gave her to read daily begin to pass through her mind.
"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
"He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
"To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation."
Sunblaze resolves to meditate more on the contents of the scrolls. Maybe Damocles will help her understand them better. 'When the whirlwind passes by...' She smiles, then frowns slightly, then wonders if anyone wants to take her up on her offer to turn them invisible.
To See or Not To See..? (DM Donna) Sunday August 5th, 2001 7:29:23 AM
Renik's probings reveal that the floor is solid to his reckoning. Moving over to the stairway, the chanting--though louder--is still unintelligible to the man's ears, but his sharp eyes make out a large, square chamber that this stairway descends into--the lower room looks to be about 100 feet square with two archways in roughly the same location to each other and to the two archways up here on the level the party is presently occupying.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+2=4 d20+12=26 d20+4=23 Monday August 6th, 2001 9:13:01 AM
Satisfied that the chamber is reasonably safe, Renik tugs twice at the rope. When the party has joined him he removes the rope, recoiling it in his pack, and whispers;
"I'll scout ahead downstairs. Best I go alone; one set of eyes and ears are all that are needed, and more than one investigator increases the risk of detection."
He makes his way down into the chamber below, avoiding the stairs, and instead walking on the underside of the stairway until he can slip out onto the ceiling of the chamber below. He checks to make the chamber is deserted (Spot 4), then creeps across the ceiling towards the source of the chanting (Listen 23, Move silent 26).
Rond Monday August 6th, 2001 11:09:58 AM
As motions to the party to proceed to the floor, when Renik give the signal via the rope. After Renik speaks Rond mentions, "Don't take long, time is of the essence."
Sunblaze (Kim) Monday August 6th, 2001 12:54:46 PM
Sunblaze nods toward the disembodied voice of Renik. Agreeing inwardly with Rond, she is anxious to move forward into this ancient edifice. "I hope you're praying," she whispers to Damocles.
Draax Monday August 6th, 2001 4:38:28 PM
When given the signal, Draax climbs down to floor and takes up a guarded position. He waits for orders from Rond or to hear Renik’s voice about what he learned from his scouting.
Arien Monday August 6th, 2001 10:20:29 PM
Once the floor was deemed safe and while Renik descended the stairs to scout ahead Arien prowls about the room looking for anything that could indicate a hidden passage or a peep hole in the wall or the like.
Recon Work (DM Donna) d20+7=17 Tuesday August 7th, 2001 6:34:22 AM
The ground-level stairway chamber is old and musty and--so far as Arien can tell, doesn't appear to contain any kind of secret passage or peepholes of any kind. (OOC: made the Spot check that you should try to remember to roll yourself next time.) The high elf can see that the next chamber is another roughly 100-foot-square room with benches arranged to face a rather crumbly stone altar that has suffered deterioration over time, as there is no top to it and the four miniature columns/supports for whatever used to be there are at different heights.
Renik cautiously descends the underside of the spiral stairs, his eyes sharply darting this way and that, and his ears easily distinguishing the direction from which the chanting is issuing. Once he is on the ceiling of this level, he sees that the stairs continue ever downward (at least three more levels.)
The chanting comes loudest from the open doorway to the right of the staircase, and so the warrior-rogue carefully makes his way over to that portal, once more peeking into the opening from his upside-down position.
The area beyond the doorway opens into a corridor that roughly follows the size and shape of the archway and extends in a straight line for as far as Renik can see. There are torches set in holders every 25 feet or so along the walls, and the man counts off four torches before hearing the sound of approaching footsteps from the archway on the left (the one the chanting was NOT coming from)...
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=25 d20+12=31 d20+4=24 d20+2=12 Tuesday August 7th, 2001 9:46:13 AM
Renik is about to head down the passageway when he hears footsteps coming from behind. Although time is indeed of the essence, he has to be sure these men don't discover his companions...
He moves back to the stairway (Move Silent 25), and prepares to rejoin his comrades swiftly to give warning should the approaching men start to climb the stairs. If they head down the corridor he will follow them.
(OOC: Move Silently 31 for either action (returning upstairs or following)
He attempts to eavesdrop on whatever conversation is taking place (Listen 24, Nat. 20), and to get a good view of whoever it is that is approaching (Spot 12).
Rond d20=7 d20=20 Tuesday August 7th, 2001 1:18:49 PM
Feeling time crawling along at a snail's pace, Rond looks around the space they are in, looking for any other details that the group might have missed before. (Spot check of 7 and search check of 20. Currently I don't have online access at home. I need DM to add any +'s from the sheet they have, please! :))
Draax Tuesday August 7th, 2001 6:02:32 PM
Draax plays the waiting game with the others as Renik continues the recon.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+9=27 d20+3=17 Tuesday August 7th, 2001 8:17:09 PM
Sunblaze cautiously moves over to the next room, and, with the help of Trent, her viper familiar, scopes out the crumbled altar, and carefully probes beneath it with the end of her longsword, gently moving aside rubble to see the floor underneath. (Spot 27, Search 17.)
Surprise..! (DM Donna) d20+2=20 Wednesday August 8th, 2001 7:44:48 AM
Rond continues to check out the ground floor staircase room--and finds nothing out of the ordinary for an old pyramid.
Sunblaze--upon approaching the altar--sees that there are two doors in the furthest corners of the room. (Since Sunblaze is walking northwards towards the altar, the doors are in the extreme northeast and northwest corners--one in the east wall and the other in the west.) These doors appear to be made of the same stony material as the rest of the pyramid and are crafted to blend very well into the rest of the stone, but Sunblaze's sharp eyes make out that they are there. (OOC: made a Spot check.)
At the altar itself, however, there are no surprises... it's just an old altar whose time of glory has come and gone.
Meanwhile, in the stairway room one level down, Renik's eyes widen in horror as he sees shuffling into the room the decrepit form of a human--or what must have once been a human, for it is wrapped in rotting bandages and looks like it has been dehydrated to within an inch of its now-unnatural life. The slow-but-steady foul thing step-drags itself towards the staircase...and slowly, painfully begins to climb the steps...
(OOC: anyone left in the ground-floor stairway room can make Spot and/or Listen checks versus DC12 to see this undead thing start up the staircase--making one or the other will allow your character to see, hear and smell it coming & warn the others with you. Those making either check will also be able to calculate that "Twinkletoes" will arrive in the ground-floor chamber in roughly two rounds.)
Rond d20=8 d20=3 Wednesday August 8th, 2001 9:54:53 PM
Rond continues to wait for Renik to get back to the group. Rond wishes he could pace, because this waiting stuff just isn't working for him. (Spot=8 listen=3. ooc cable and phone service to return on the 13th. Till then I must apologize, and depend upon DM to add in my +'s)
Draax d20+1=19 Thursday August 9th, 2001 2:24:39 AM
Getting a little impatient with the waiting game, Draax looks down the stairs to see if he sees Renik. He sees Renik and thinks that he recognized a look of horror come across he comrades face. The shuffling undead that comes in to view confirms that he did see Renik eyes go wide. Turning to the other he says in a low voice. "Guys, I think we have company." Pointing to the creature as it tries to make its way up the stairs.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+9=16 d20+9=28 d20+19=20 Thursday August 9th, 2001 5:03:22 AM
[Note: having her familiar add eyes, ears, and its snakey senses, grants a +9 to spot (16) and +9 to listen (28).] Sunblaze checks out the door to the northwest more closely, looking to see what mechanism might open it. With her senses augmented via Trent, her viper, the elf hears Draax's low warning from the next room. She leaves off her inspection of the doorway, and quietly returns to the room with the stairway. Sword drawn, but concealed to her side, Sunblaze blends in, hiding right next the wall. (Needed a +19 to get a 20 to hide? Sheesh.)
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+2=19 d20+4=9 Thursday August 9th, 2001 5:20:38 AM
Renik returns to warn his companions, but its seems Draax has already spotted the shambling horror (OOC: But not Renik: he's invisible!) and. Renik elects to hold back, clinging invisibly to the underside of the stairway out of the creature's reach. He knows that if he joins the attck his invisiblity will end. He hopes his companions will be able to dispatch it swiftly (and without too much noise), but draws his rapier to provide assistance should it be required.
As the monster approaches Renik scans the area for any signs of further foes (Spot 19, Listen 9)
My Eyes Just CAN'T Believe What They're Seeing..! (DM Donna) d20+9=22 d20+10=25 d20+6=21 Thursday August 9th, 2001 6:48:28 AM
As the mummified undead thing hobbles up the stairway, something strikes Sunblaze (as well as Arien and Damocles) as odd--the image of the monster shimmers for a split-second...as though it were merely a mirage in the desert. Anybody else in the party who lacks the Spellcraft skill doesn't notice this, however.
Renik's eagle eye, however, sees several shadows (cast by light sources from within the area beyond the archway to the left of the staircase) advance across the floor of the lower stairway chamber...somebody, it seems, is walking into that room...
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=26 d20+2=12 d20+4=18 Thursday August 9th, 2001 7:04:09 AM
"Hssst!" whispers Renik urgently to his companions. "More foes are moving downstairs! I shall investigate!"
Clinging once again to the underside of the stairs, he makes his way back down, keeping out or reach of the advancing mummy, hoping to get a better view of the approaching figures.
(Move Silent 26, Spot 12, Listen 18)
Damocles Thursday August 9th, 2001 11:53:36 AM
Damocles floats lower, down towards the mummy, questioning what he should do about it. He seems to ponder merely dropping in front of it for a moment, but hesitates.
Draax Thursday August 9th, 2001 5:51:50 PM
Draax reprimands himself for an overactive imagination, remembering that he cannot see Renik because he is invisible. :)
He takes another look to make sure that the creature was not just his imagination. Seeing the creature still advancing convinces him that it is real. He pulls his sword and waits for it to get to their level.
As he watches Damocles' descent toward the creature, he starts to think that maybe they will not have to wait long.
Sunblaze (Kim) Thursday August 9th, 2001 11:21:17 PM
Sunblaze looks to her companions to see what they will do. If it were a person coming up the stairs, then she would think about talking. But this shrouded figure... what is that shimmering? Has someone cast an illusion to deceive them? Make them give themselves away with an ephemeral image? Oh, she can smell it, too. A somewhat convincing illusion, if that it is. Her fingers move along the hilt of her marvelous sword. Attack, or talk, or wait?
Clarifying Positions & Suppositions (DM Donna) Friday August 10th, 2001 6:45:34 AM
This is a rather OOC post, but it contains information that all the characters would know now, as well as information that those characters whom made that Spellcraft check I rolled for them last post would know, too.
The shimmering mummy: everyone who saw the mummy "shimmer" for a moment now realizes that it is, indeed, an illusion--a very VERY sophisticated one. Those possessing Spellcraft as a skill should also make another Spellcraft check versus DC 20 (successful checks mean that your PC suddenly realizes that such an illusion is a sort of alarm trigger, and that attacking it will set off the alarm.)
The ground floor stairway room: this is a square room--it is 100 feet wide by 100 feet long; the ceiling is about 120 feet high; there are two open archways in the room--one in the north wall (leading to that altar room) and one in the south wall (leading to the entry chamber); both archways are about twenty feet high and fifteen or so feet wide.
There is a large, intricately-constructed metal-and-stone circular stairway that spirals up to another level as well as down to the level that Renik currently occupies all by himself. The stairway is in the very center of the room; the treads (set in an open pattern) are stone while the rest of that stairway is made of wrought metal that must have taken the finest craftsmen a very long time to construct.
The mummy--when it arrives topside--will be stepping off the stairs facing west, and will probably turn south towards the entrance that the party came into the pyramid through.
The chamber has metal sconces that hold torches along all four of its walls, starting on either side of both archways and then spaced out about twenty feet apart or so.
The ground floor stairway room also has bas-relief and faded frescoes and such, but nobody has tried examining them, nor have any of the designs or pictures caught anyone's attention. (They're old, they're there...and not really important in & of themselves.)
The lower-level stairway chamber (the one Renik and the mummy now occupy) is identical to the ground floor stairway chamber. The north doorway of Renik's location has the chanting sounding ever-louder from it.
Renik has alerted the party (as you've seen from his post) that something/somebody else is also coming into the room he is in (and that the mummy is about to exit, as one round has gone by, and the second round is about to commence) and has gone to sneek a peek at the south archway of his room...his rolls have been good enough so that he can tell there are several individuals beginning to follow the mummy's path.
Take this time to clarify exactly where your character is, and exactly what they intend to do. Once everyone who is present has posted, I'll continue with how the events unfold. 8)
Arien d20+10=25 Friday August 10th, 2001 7:19:49 PM
Arien stares at the image for a moment then blinks several times in amazement of the sophisticated illusion in front of him. He signs to the others to not do anything to it. Then after hearing Renik's warning Arien motions for the others to hide and positions himself as best he can near the stairs for an ambush should it come to that.
(OOC: What style of stairs are these? and where are they in room?)
There is a large, intricately-constructed metal-and-stone circular stairway that spirals up to another level as well as down to the level that Renik currently occupies all by himself. The stairway is in the very center of the room; the treads (set in an open pattern) are stone while the rest of that stairway is made of wrought metal that must have taken the finest craftsmen a very long time to construct. The "style" is vaguely geometric.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=24 d20+2=5 d20+4=21 Sunday August 12th, 2001 9:14:56 AM
Near where the stairway intersects with the lower level, Renik stops (Move Silent 24). He is crouched, upside down, above the stairs. He examines the room carefully for further details on their approaching enemies (Spot 5) and again tries to make out anything that is said between them (Listen 21).
He reasons that if the newcomers do head up the stairs his companions may be able to keep out of sight beneath the stairwell, and if it does come to a fight, then at least he will be well placed to attack the enemy from the rear.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+4=19 d20+19=33 d20+9=25 d20+9=21 d20+10=28 Sunday August 12th, 2001 5:19:59 PM
The elf works on quietly (Move silently: 19) climbing to a spot on the outside of the winding stairway. Hanging on to the ornate metal work which frames it, she blends in skillfully (Hide: 33), and, with Trent's senses aiding her, observes the goings-on (Spot: 25; Listen: 21). In particular she looks to Rond - if she can see him - to help determine the nature of her next actions.
Something about the masterful illusionary mummy recalls to her mind teachings she absorbed during her tutelage as a wizard (Spellcraft: 28). If any are near enough to see her, with a shake of her head or a negatory wave of her hand, she tries to signal that the mummy should not be attacked.
Rond Monday August 13th, 2001 12:04:59 AM
Doing his best to mime what he wants, Rond tries to indicate that the group should leave the mummy alone.
[Examining the stairway, is there enough room for the spider clinging group to come down over top of the mummy, in such a fashion that with no noise, we might pass undetected?]
Taking a long look at the stairway, Rond tries to figure out if there's a way down, that the party could take, in order to assist Renik, should the sound of battle erupt. Otherwise, Rond stands as nearby to where Renik would emerge, in order to allow Renik to talk to Rond.
Draax Monday August 13th, 2001 5:52:43 AM
Draax nods to Rond letting him know that he understands about not assaulting the mummy. He looks closely at the stairs, if there is a spot under the stairs where he can hang without being seen Draax will sit there upside down and wait. He changes he appearance to look like the captive guard to be on the safe side.
Welcoming Committee (DM Donna) Monday August 13th, 2001 7:22:53 AM
Renik stays in his spot on the ceiling, keeping absolutely still. Keeping absolutely still, however, severely hampers his ability to look around too much, but he's able to hear the conversation of the figures below him (Renik figures there are a total of seven or eight people coming through the door, but he'd have to move his head to see for sure.)
"Five gold says its another false alarm." one gruff voice offers.
"We've had two false alarms this week, Slappy," grouses someone else, "So I'm not gonna take that wager!"
"Heh heh heh...how's about five'll get me ten if it turns out to be some drunken flying carpet salesman mistakin' us for a manorhouse..?" a third voice--rather gravelly--says jokingly. Chuckles abound.
"Silence, fools!" hisses a tall, thin human man that Renik manages to see without moving. "You're here to keep the Sons of Dread secure--NOT to further your base desires..!" The tall man is dressed in the dark attire of a mage of some sort. At least two other similarly-dressed people agree with the mage in low voices.
"Well, exCUSE me!" snorts Slappy. "At least I can get them 'base desires' fulfilled on Saturday nights, which is more'n I can say for YOU, Bolgus!" Derisive chuckles follow this quip.
"Aye, that you can--with enough coin to persuade the wenches in question to overlook your ugly face!" Bolgus shoots back, much to the further amusement of those in this lower stairway room. "Coin which the Sons of Dread provide you, I might add--so shut UP and let us keep tabs on that mummy-alarm..!"
"The mummy has encountered no one, Bolgus." pipes up a nasally voice.
Indeed, the "mummy" has stopped at the top of the stairs and has begun lurching about in a manner that would frighten any ordinary person, pausing to glare about every now and then before resuming its journey with a lunge that could easily be mistaken for an attack...had the party been unaware of the "mummy's" true nature. Soon the illusion passes out of the upper stairway chamber and into the entry room.
It is impossible for anybody in the upper stairway chamber to get more than the occasional glimpse of the people in the chamber directly below--not unless they're willing to be seen fully by the newcomers.
Renik will have to shift around in place in order to be ABSOLUTELY sure of how many people are in the room and to see any other details about them. (Make a Move Silently check, Renik, if you choose to shift around. I'll make opposing Listen checks to see if anyone within the lower stairway can hear the movement.)
At this point, the only thing you all can be reasonably sure of is that the chanting continues and that these new arrivals aren't moving any further into the lower stairway chamber, either.
At least...not yet...
Draax Monday August 13th, 2001 9:32:09 PM
Draax in his dread guard disguise, continues to stay pasted to the under side of the stair, waiting for the all-clear or the signal to attack. As he listens to the chanting he is reminded of all the time that is slipping away.
Sunblaze (Kim) Tuesday August 14th, 2001 1:38:54 AM
The wizard hangs tight, not yet willing to give up her perch, and hoping that Renik doesn't blow his cover. "Maybe they'll just send a few," she thinks to herself.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=27 d20+2=12 d20+2=8 d20+4=5 Tuesday August 14th, 2001 8:31:23 AM
Renik curses silently to himself. The only safe way out of this situation is to wait until this patrol leave the room. But that chanting... they could be rapidly running out of time.
Face facts, he rationalises; if the patrol discover the party the delay is likely to be greater and more deadly than if they simply wait the obstacle out. It could even alert the rest of the mages, and then they really would be in trouble. The only safe thing to do is sit tight and wait the enemy out, frustrating as that may be.
With the utmost care he shifts his position slightly so that he is able to get a good look at the mages and guards (Move Silent 27, Spot 12). He makes a mental note of numbers and weaponry, attempts to determine a heirarchy amongst the mages, and tries to spot any suggestion of intent from the group (Sense Motive 8). He continues to eavesdrop on their conversation (Listen 5: sudden massive buildup of earwax!)
Rond Tuesday August 14th, 2001 9:15:33 AM
Rond continues to play it safe, and wait. The time is passing by as slow as ever. Rond's adrenaline begins to flow as he watches the Mummy moving around below the group. The nearness of battle and quick decisions, with the crawl of the wait, makes for an interesting ying/yang battle inside Rond's body.
Arien Tuesday August 14th, 2001 7:40:03 PM
Arien chafes a bit at the delay, impatient to get on with the job but he does understand the need for discretion in this time and place; and so he waits, hanging from the ceiling in the darkest of the corners in the room and watches the stairway for any sign of Renik or anything else.
Wait For It... (DM Donna) Wednesday August 15th, 2001 6:50:24 AM
Just about everyone in the party holds their breath and has a death-grip on their readied weapons...but since the Hamleteers are not bothering the "mummy", the convincing illusion's distinctive "step-drag" gait grows faint, then--after an eternity of waiting--seems to just stop altogether.
Renik repositions himself and sees very clearly now that there are nine people near the archway that is to the left of the foot of the stairs (the south archway). Five of them are armed and armored; four of them are wearing mages' robes. The soldiers number three humans, one with elven blood (the helmet makes it hard to see if he's a fullblooded or a half-elf), and a dwarf with an eyepatch. The makeup of the mages are two humans and two elves.
"No encounters, Bolgus." the calm voice of one of the mages--one of the elves--in the lower staircase chamber says firmly.
"Hmmmph...probably a false alarm, then." Bolgus (a human mage) offers testily.
"Well, DUHHHH!" Slappy--a human fighter-type--snaps. "C'mon--I got a perfectly good mug of ale waitin' for me in the guard room--" All the warriors of the group and the other human mage turn to leave. Bolgus growls.
"HOLD it, musclehead!" the wizard countermands. "You know the procedure! One of you has to check out the upstairs just to make SURE that there isn't anyone around! Now...who's going?" As one, all the taller mercenaries point to the one-eyed dwarf.
"Spike's the low man on the totem pole!" Slappy says smugly. "Go slay some dust bunnies, runt!" Everyone else sniggers, chuckles and/or guffaws at the expense of the earthkin. Spike grumbles audibly as the rest of the guard detail exits the room.
Silence reigns for a moment or two.
Renik sees the dwarf peer intently after the others...it looks like Spike is trying to gauge how far away the others are...
Renik can make a Sense Motive check versus DC15 to be able to tell that Spike is planning to skip doing the solitary follow-up on the mummy; the people upstairs must make a Hide check versus DC15 before making that Sense Motive check if they are trying to sneek peeks at what the mercenary dwarf is doing.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+2=3 Wednesday August 15th, 2001 9:43:30 AM
Renik continues his covert surveillance of the ocularly challenged dwarf, but doesn't have the faintest idea what he is planning to do next (sense motive 3: natural 1). It looks strangely to Renik as if the dwarf is about to break into a lively song and dance routine, and he finds himself not a little confused.
Rond d20+12=16 d20+2=6 Wednesday August 15th, 2001 7:23:33 PM
Watching the mummy disappear into the nothingness, Rond feels his anxiety level drop a little bit. As he begins to relax a little bit, he decides to try to take a quick look from where he's at. Deciding it's time to breathe again, Rond feels faint for a sec. (hide check =16 (4)). Once he recovers, he peeks down and sees the dwarf. He senses that the dwarf seems to be about to charge down the hallway as if he's scared to be alone, or something.
Draax Wednesday August 15th, 2001 8:04:40 PM
Draax counts the seconds as they slip away. He hopes that they are able to move soon. He wonders how some of the others can make a living at sneaking around.
Sunblaze (Kim) Thursday August 16th, 2001 3:22:58 AM
Sunblaze decides to stay put just a little bit longer. She again looks to Rond for some sort of signal, but isn't about to move from where she is at the moment. She starts thinking about how to put into a poem what has happened so far.
Damocles (Flying) (Kim) d20=16 d20=19 d20=16 Thursday August 16th, 2001 3:29:24 AM
Damocles floats (Move Silently 16 + whatever adjustment] to where he can peek down to the next level, having heard the voices. He sees the dwarf, and gets the feeling that the fellow is perhaps not a guard of the highest integrity [Sense Motive, 19+?]. Silently [MS 16+?] he floats back out of sight, in case the dwarf should happen to look up.
[OOC: Email from David Clifford asked if one of us might post for him on days he is unable to do so by 8:00pm. He is camp-counseling.]
A Copper Just Doesn't Go As Far As It Used To... (DM Donna) Thursday August 16th, 2001 6:19:41 AM
Spike, after a moment, relaxes, rummages around in his backpack, and then pulls out a pipe and a pouch. He fills the pipe and lights it, puffing heavily on it. The pungent odor of tobacco floats up the staircase so that all may smell it.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+2=20 Thursday August 16th, 2001 8:55:25 AM
Silently Renik grinds his teeth in frustration. How long is this accursed guard going to sit there? (Sense Motive 20) He has a nagging feeling that if they don't get moving soon more trouble will follow...
Draax Thursday August 16th, 2001 5:35:05 PM
Draax sitting upside-down under the stairs and unable to see the dwarf, wonders what is taking so long for the all clear signal. Although he could not make out what was being said down the stairs, he is pretty sure that he heard them moving away.
He wonders if he should look to make sure that the others are still here. He discards the thought of him moving almost as soon as it enters his mind, but he also thinks that if he does not hear something soon he will be forced to take a look himself.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+4=12 Thursday August 16th, 2001 8:37:05 PM
Sunblaze grows impatient. She attempts to quietly move from her place, but is not quiet as a churchmouse (12 on DC15). Some of the wrought metal she climbs down makes a light creaking noise.
Rond d20+12=17 d20=14 Thursday August 16th, 2001 11:35:13 PM
Wanting to get Renik's attention, Rond lowers himself to a point where he can get his hand down through the floor level. (MS =17). Just as he's about to stick his hand through, he hears Sunblaze's noise. He quickly pulls his hand back in, like it was discovered in the cookie jar. If the dwarf doesn't notice, he'll stick his hand down below the stairs. He'll then proceed to wave his arm in a manner similar to 'teacher, teacher, pick me.' Every now and then he'll stop and make the motion to 'come here'. Carefully keeping an eye on the dwarf, in case he looks up at what he's doing. If the dwarf hears Sunblaze and starts to move, Rond will not do anything, either until the dwarf stops looking, or until the party has to defend itself.
Damocles (Flying) (Kim) d20=13 Friday August 17th, 2001 1:20:42 AM
[This assumes he hears the noise made by Sunblaze (Listen 13+?):] The cleric of Alemi, if he hears the dwarf moving quickly away, will do a flying dive to intercept him. Just outside viewing range at the edge of the stairway in the room above the lower chamber, Damocles prepares for action.
Damocles (Dave posts for himself) Friday August 17th, 2001 2:07:12 PM
Damocles hears Sunblaze hits the creaky board and dives, low enough for the dwarf to be in range of a Hold Person spell. He weaves it quickly, until finally the glowing sigil of Alemi flies forth to strike the dwarf in the forehead, freezing him in place.
Arien d20=17 Friday August 17th, 2001 2:59:21 PM
Arien freezes when he hears Sunblaze make the noise and quickly materializes his bow in one hand and draws an arrow with the other, ready to strike should someone come to investigate.
I Said "Freeeeeze!", Dirtbag..! (DM Donna) Saturday August 18th, 2001 7:14:16 AM
Although the one-eyed dwarf apparently didn't hear the noise that Sunblaze made, Damocles' dive & cast freezes the mercenary in place.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+8=14 Sunday August 19th, 2001 10:04:22 PM
Berating herself for causing the creak, Sunblaze pauses, plans carefully, moves slowly, trying to avoid any more noise, and continues her descent [I'm taking 4. Not 10, just 4 to represent her added care]. She manages not to make TOO much more noise. [Move silently 14.] And returns to the floor of the level above the fresh action.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=17 Monday August 20th, 2001 7:39:26 AM
Renik, seeing the mercenary frozen by Damocles' spell, makes for the torch lit corridor from where the chanting is coming. He makes his way along the ceiling, and heads towards the sound, continuing to move carefully (Move Silent 17).
As he moves he tries not to worry about the fact that now they really are racing against the clock. With the guard failing to return, the reception committee will very shortly be alerted to their presence... he hopes his companions are able to deal with them quickly and quietly.
Rond d20+12=23 Monday August 20th, 2001 6:04:43 PM
Rond briefly considers whether he should consider having a serious heart to heart with Wardd. Some how he feels that he's been pushing his luck too much lately.
Moving down the stairwell, Rond proceeds to motion the party to join him in the chamber below. Continuing to move as quietly as he can (MS 23) he comes up from behind the dwarf (if he can), and indicates to the party that they should not be seen by the Dwarf, and remain on the ceiling. Motioning everyone in the group to stay behind the dwarf, Rond does his best to turn the dwarf around so that he does not see Rond, or anyone in the group.
Once the group is past the dwarf, Rond will whisper very quietly, "Raise no alarm, leave the temple. No problems, and you will receive severance pay. Stay at the Red Wyrm Inn for two days."
Draax Monday August 20th, 2001 9:16:18 PM
At the signal to move Draax starts to head down the stairs. Noticing the dwarf and Rond directing him to avoid the dwarf, Draax walks along the ceiling past the dwarf. Not knowing what transpired before he moved, he suppresses the yearning to drop down and slit the dwarf's throat. He hopes that the dwarf realizes his good fortune and if not, Draax vows to remind the dwarf of the life he could have had just before killing him.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+4=9 Tuesday August 21st, 2001 12:05:56 AM
The small elf moves as Rond directs, aiming for a balance between haste and quiet. Haste wins. "Disarm him," she whispers to Rond. She looks around, and glances at the exits from this lower room. And she takes some cloth in hand, ready to stuff the dwarf's smoky mouth if he looks to make any noise. Or poke his eye out. Did she just think that?
Clarification Needed, I Think... (DM Donna) Tuesday August 21st, 2001 6:49:34 AM
I'm not sure you all realize the dwarf's position when he was "frozen" by the panicky Damocles, so I'll clarify and give you a chance to change your actions if you wish:
Spike was more concerned about whether the retreating guard detail was still within range of sight. Once he was satisfied that none of his companions could see him, he pulled out his pipe, stuffed it and lit up. Obviously he had NO intention of going up the stairs at all.
When Damocles swooped down and cast the Hold Person spell on Spike, the dwarf was in the middle of taking a hefty drag of his tobacco (at least...I think it's tobacco--you never know with these evil mercenaries..! ;D)--his eyes are half-closed and he's facing mostly into the western doorway...and completely paralyzed now.
Renik--approaching the eastern archway--still sees nothing more than a long, torch-lit corridor from which emanates the persistent yet monotonous chanting, which has neither gotten any louder nor faster nor more intense.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=19 d20+4=11 Tuesday August 21st, 2001 7:11:19 AM
Renik continues towards the source of the chanting, moving Silently (19). He smiles grimly as it occurs to him that this could possibly be a trap, designed to lure the over-curious to their doom, and not their enemy chanting at all. But he is set on his course now, and cannot afford to be swayed by what is probably just an overactive imagination. If he finds himself getting close to the source of the sound he will Search (11) for traps before moving closer.
Sunblaze (Kim) Tuesday August 21st, 2001 12:58:16 PM
[OOC: Regarding crossing the ceiling - Sunblaze can't cross the ceiling, unless someone wants to carry her. She can cross the FLOOR. She can ascend or descend the stairway. But she does not spiderclimb, nor fly, at least not at the moment.]
The elf alters her looks (change self via the chameleon ring) to make her face real plain, and her hair a dirty blonde.
"Hey," she says quietly (but roughening her voice) to Rond & Damocles, careful not to use their names. "Let him go out on the streets, but only with what nature gave him, plus his pipe and tobacco pouch." She takes first his weapon(s), then begins disrobing him, first dropping his trousers to his ankles (hard to run that way), obviously wanting the cleric and the ranger to assist. "Then he can leave. I'll escort him. Hey, Spike, I've got a serpent here. You wiggle the wrong way, you talk too loud, he bites you, you're dead. You cooperate, and you'll be free to head out the door to the Inn, alive."
Damocles (Kim) Tuesday August 21st, 2001 9:09:03 PM
The cleric blindfolds the dwarf, after removing the pipe from the fellow's mouth, his expression showing distain for the lingering smoke. He assists Sunblaze in disrobing the slothful guardian. But he forbids her to remove the dwarf's loincloth, if such he has. Everything else, except pipe and tobacco, the cleric of Alemi takes from the held dwarf. [If he has rope (?)] Damocles ties the stout creature's hands behind his back, makes sure the blindfold will hold, adds a gag to the mouth for good measure, then, requesting Rond's assistance, releases the hold person spell, quietly repeats the instructions Rond and Sunblaze gave, and marches him up the stairs, guiding him out the doorway. Should the mummy apparition show itself, he will skirt it, and otherwise not attack, not react.
Head Count (DM Donna) Wednesday August 22nd, 2001 7:05:03 AM
Sunblaze and Damocles quickly have one bound-up dwarf and one pile of equipment and clothing (except for the loincloth). Spike is obviously less than thrilled to be in his position, but when the Hold Person spell is canceled, the short mercenary follows instructions, even if it is with a lot of reluctance.
Renik continues down the corridor, via the ceiling, noting that there are wooden doors that lead north and south about one hundred feet down the corridor. Taking a moment to squint at them, he notes that they appear to be heavy and bound with iron bands. They open via fixed iron handles.
Renik can also see that the corridor extends another 150 feet or so before ending in another open archway opposite the one that leads to the stairway chamber. The chanting gets louder as Renik gets closer to the new archway.
Renik (Invisible, Spider cimbing) d20+12=13 d20+12=23 d20+4=15 d20+2=3 Wednesday August 22nd, 2001 8:02:44 AM
Renik continues to creep along the ceiling towards the end archway but in his eagerness to see what is up ahead he fails to take sufficient care, and dislodges a small stone(Move Silent 13: natural 1). He freezes in place, and prays the loud chanting from up ahead has drowned out the noise. Taking advantage of the momentary pause, he again checks for any traps nearby(Search 15. Sorry, second +12 roll was made in error) or waiting guards (spot 3: another natural 1! Aaarggh!)
Sunblaze (Kim) Thursday August 23rd, 2001 12:38:26 AM
She picks up the dwarf's gear, and lugs it up behind Spike and Damocles. She checks to see if there is anything of particular interest, and telepathically communicates with her viper familiar to keep alert to what the dwarf is doing, as she herself focuses her attention on the inventory.
Damocles (Kim) Thursday August 23rd, 2001 12:50:06 AM
As they move along, the cleric looks to see if Spike bears any tattoos or other recognizable markings. At the door, Damocles presses three gold pieces in Spike's hand. "This should get you something to eat and drink. What place did I say you should wait?" he asks, verifying that Spike understood his instructions. If he answers, "The Red Wyrm Inn," or something to that effect, the cleric tells him as he unties his wrists, "Do not look back, as you value your life." He removes the blindfold. "Go that way," he bids him with a nudge toward the straightest path into the city, leaving him with pipe, tobacco, loincloth, and three gold pieces with which to find his fortune in the wide Wold.
Once the lightly clad dwarf walks out of sight, Damocles returns with Sunblaze, finding out from Rond or Draax which way the party is now heading. On the way he helps carry the dwarf's gear, quietly asking Sunblaze what she intends to do with the miscreant's belongings.
Rond Thursday August 23rd, 2001 4:29:20 AM
Rond waits for both invisible and visible party members to return. Hoping that all have had no problems in their travel. If Renik doesn't return right away, once the group is back together, he'll direct everyone down the corridor, until they have to make a decision. Then they'll wait for Renik.
Buying Off a Mercenary (DM Donna) Thursday August 23rd, 2001 7:27:23 AM
Spike attempts to answer Damocles' question, but since Damocles didn't remove the gag in the dwarf's mouth, the words are very much garbled.
Sunblaze will need to make Appraisal checks to see what she estimates the two dwarven hammers, the banded armor, a wide, metal-studded belt, the light crossbow and case of quarrels and the assorted stuff in the backpack might be worth. (Roll once for each item--the crossbow & quarrels count as one item.) A large belt pouch holds two potion bottles (a gray ceramic bottle and a black glass bottle with its bottom half wrapped in braided reeds), and a smaller pouch that jingles. There is an assortment of gold, silver and copper in the pouch.
The illusionary mummy lunges around past the trio at the door before wandering back towards the stairway chamber.
Renik's heart pounds deafeningly in his ears, but the chanting doesn't stop, he isn't suddenly engulfed in flames nor crushed by a deadfall, and there is no guard who suddenly springs on the invisible man, so it appears that none of the enemy is aware of his presence yet.
Rond continues to wait.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=28 d20+2=16 Thursday August 23rd, 2001 7:48:34 AM
Relieved that he hasn't brought the weight of the enemy down on his head, Renik continues to the archway (Move Silent 28), and peers in, seeking the source of the chanting voices (Spot 16).
Draax Thursday August 23rd, 2001 10:52:51 AM
Draax watches Damocles and Sunblaze escort the dwarf toward the exit. He smiles as he shakes his head, thinking to himself, 'I will have to get use to this showing kindness to your enemy, I guess that's what makes us the good guys.'
While waiting for Renik's return, Draax comes to the decision that it would be better if the others handle the non-violent SoDs, because he could not trust himself to be able to set one free.
Arien Thursday August 23rd, 2001 7:05:24 PM
Arien watches as Damocles and Sunblaze escort the Dwarf from the area and shifts slightly to relieve a small ache beginning to form in one leg. Then with an impatient sigh he once again reviews his memorized spells, wondering if he'll get the chance to use them.
Sunblaze (Kim) d20+3=23 d20+3=11 d20+3=22 d20+3=16 d20+3=14 d20+5=7 d20+5=18 d20+3=23 Thursday August 23rd, 2001 11:19:14 PM
Sunblaze helps Damocles with Spike as much as he needs.
Next Sunblaze sizes up what she finds: two dwarven hammers (Appraise 23) the banded armor (11) a wide, metal-studded belt (22) the light crossbow and case of quarrels (16) and the assorted stuff in the backpack (14) a gray ceramic bottle (Alchemy 7) and a black glass bottle with its bottom half wrapped in braided reeds (Alchemy 18) and a smaller pouch that jingles (Appraise 23 - She can count!) She enumerates the assortment of gold, silver and copper in the pouch.
[OOC: Once she determines what she can and he and Damocles are back with the others, she quietly tells them. Then asks Rond, "So, what do we do now? You suppose anybody'll wonder where the dwarf went?" (Hold this portion until Spike is taken care of)]
Damocles (Kim) d20=4 Friday August 24th, 2001 1:47:42 AM
"Oh, yeah, the gag. Hard to answer, I know. Talk softly, now." Damocles calls Sunblaze (not by name) over for a moment, asking her to have the serpent at the ready should the dwarf prove uncooperative. His own weapon is under his arm, ready to grab to use if necessary. He removes Spike's gag (not yet unbinding him or removing the blindfold), allowing the dwarf to indicate whether he will go to the Red Wyrm Inn, or to choose death instead of a drink. If the dwarf seems compliant, the cleric of Alemi will keep his word, unbind his wrists, tells him to take five steps forward before he removes his own blindfold, then lets him go. He watches, his body behind the door, to make sure he heads off in the right direction.
If he's not compliant...
Rond Friday August 24th, 2001 4:10:00 AM
"They might. Though they might spend more time figuring out where he went, than looking for us."
Rond hopes Renik is okay, and tries to keep his nerves from getting the best of him.
Choices (DM Donna) d20+2=20 Saturday August 25th, 2001 7:07:22 AM
Spike is still for a moment, but--since he is completely at the mercy of his captors--capitulates gruffly:
"Go to the Red Wyrm...right..?" Once freed from the bonds and blindfold, the dwarf stoically strides out the door and down the steps, muttering something about at least being able to drown his sorrows.
Renik, meanwhile, is hanging upside-down in the archway from which is issuing the chanting...and he definitely does NOT like what he sees:
A large, rectangular chamber approximately ninety feet long by thirty feet wide with a ceiling about twenty feet high. It's lit by the customary one-torch-holder-every fifteen-feet-or-so method that the party has so far encountered, and its walls have the partially-faded frescoes of unknown origin and subject on them--however, they have been recently defaced with rather fresh grafitti...a large open red eye, from which blood-colored tears trickle. This isn't what makes Renik nervous, however--it is the occupants of the room, and what THEY are doing that causes the hackles at the back of the warrior rogue's neck to stiffen to attention...
...there are dozens of black-robed individuals in the room, all of them chanting and genuflecting more or less in unison. Renik quickly calculates that there are at least twoscore mages assembled--he can practically taste the magic in the air..!
The mages seem to be in the middle of some ceremony honoring the eight-foot-tall statue of gunmetal gray material...a statue that looks rather familiar to Renik's eyes. Even as he recognizes the features (complete with eerily glowing crimson eyes), the worshipping Sons of Dread come to a part in their ceremony where they invoke the name of their Dark Master:
"...Marteaus...Marteaus...Marteaus...!"
Renik d20+12=26 Monday August 27th, 2001 7:48:33 AM
This is NOT good, Renik thinks to himself. There is more power in this room than their small band can possibly hope to compete with, and he doesn't like the look of that ceremony one bit.
He gives the room another quick scan to see if he can spot any evidence of the flyer printing process, or further exits from the chamber, then he turns and moves back down the corridor as quickly as he is able without making a noise (Move Silent 26). Rond and the others need to know about this, and fast.
Sunblaze (Steven) Monday August 27th, 2001 3:10:26 PM
(The Appraised stuff... don't I find out about it?)
Sunblaze continues to look through the stuff. Her eyes seem to keep coming back to the belt. Yet she is unsure why. She whispers to Damocles, lightly. Just enough so that it can turn his eye. "Let us take this to the group, so that we may all carry it, and not just the two of us."
Draax Monday August 27th, 2001 4:14:29 PM
Draax waits with the party members that are gathered near Rond, he tries to look more relaxed than he feels. He mentally curses himself for not getting a good look at the dwarf, thinking that it could have been a good disguise to have if the need arrives.
Damocles (Kim) Monday August 27th, 2001 10:54:56 PM
"Right," he confirms Spike's answer, and watches him grumble on his way. *'Good thing for you it was I, and not one of my more hot-blooded friends who got to you first,'* he thinks toward the retreating dwarf.
Sunblaze catches his attention. As Spike disappears, he turns toward the diminutive mage, and responds to her suggestion. "Good idea." He helps her out, taking up the banded mail, the hammers, and backpack, leaving the rest for her to haul. "Back down," he says quietly, and leads the way down the stairs. As they descend he asks, "You figure out any special qualities to this stuff?"
Once they catch back up to the others, the cleric reports to Rond, "He's gone." He looks to see if all are present. "Where next?" he continues softly. "Shall we see if we can take care of the guards? Or has Renik found something yet?"
Arien Monday August 27th, 2001 11:36:49 PM
Arien stiffles a large yawn and mutters to himself about this seemingly endless waiting that they had to endure.
Details, Details..! (DM Donna) Tuesday August 28th, 2001 6:47:10 AM
Sunblaze decides that of the mercenary's equipment, only the two dwarven hammers and the wide, metal-studded belt may be worth anything. (The belt is of particularly good quality, its metalwork meticulously wrought.) While the possible use of the gray ceramic bottle eludes the musical spellcaster's deductive capabilities, the black glass bottle with its bottom half wrapped in braided reeds seems to be a rather potent curative potion (OOC: Cure Moderate Wounds.)
Spike's money pouch has about 110gp, 80sp and 50cp in it.
Renik arrives right after Sunblaze and Damocles rejoin the group in the lower staircase chamber. Just as he does so, however, Renik's Invisibility inexplicably flickers off, revealing the roguish man on the wall beside the party.
Rond Tuesday August 28th, 2001 8:25:05 AM
Seeing Renik appear so suddenly, Rond is halfway through pulling out his weapon, when he finishes his jumping. Realizing it's Renik, he sheepishly pushes his weapon back in its scabbard, looking like the boy that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
He then faces Renik and waits for his report, noting that the group is fully reunited.
Renik Tuesday August 28th, 2001 8:42:06 AM
Renik quickly recounts what he has seen in the end chamber; 40 or so wizards, the aura of raw magical power, the statue and the name the wizards were chanting. "But no sign of what we came here for, the mechanism these wizards are using to produce the flyers."
Noticing he has become visible once more Renik tries to mentally calculate if the potion should have worn off naturally by now. He hopes his reappearance doesn't signify closer scrutiny by the pyramid's occupants.
Draax Tuesday August 28th, 2001 4:41:19 PM
Standing in the room wishing for something to happen, Draax is startled at Renik's sudden appearance. He smiles at Rond's reaction until he notices the dagger in his own hand that he does not remember drawing. Putting the dagger away as casually as he can, Draax listens to Renik's account of what he saw. Hearing about the 40 plus mages does not make him happy; he thinks that this is the wrong time for him to finally be granted a wish.
Digesting Renik’s words; Draax stops and just stares at Renik, in a low voice his says, "Did you say that they were chanting for Marteaus?"
Turning to Rond he says, "Isn’t that the name of the guy that we gave the ring to save the lives of the town people? I hope it is just two evil beings with the same name, although I seriously doubt it."
Draax gets nervous and excited at the same time. He never felt good about giving Marteaus the ring, although he also knows that it was the only thing that could have been done. A chance to have a part in foiling his plans may ease some of the guilt, but he does not look forward to facing a being that can turn back time.
Sunblaze Tuesday August 28th, 2001 8:00:02 PM
Sunblaze gathers the Dwarven things, and walks downstairs. She listens to Renik, wondering if the group can take those mages on. "They seem to be powerful, and if they are summoning this person whom you believe to have saved the town? Well, perhaps you helped an evil, without understanding it." She looks at the way where Renik came from. "I have a few spells which cover a large area, they might help us to disturb their summoning."
Damocles (Kim) Tuesday August 28th, 2001 11:34:20 PM
Damocles nods at Draax's words. Then responds to Sunblaze. "My arrival in Windhorn Hamlet took place just after the exchange of the ring for the village. Who knows? Maybe the one whose name our hosts now chant arranged the whole setup with the Sahuagin just so he could get the ring. I hope never to comprehend evil," he says, looking at Sunblaze. "I have little love for those who call upon that name," he says, pointedly avoiding saying the name of Marteaus. "Our ... we were asked to look for something here, and I think our chances of living to find it are better if we don't for the present involve ourselves in the assembly our scout reports. Let us pray for guidance, and aid the prayer by further searching. Away from this spot." He glances the way that earlier Spike had stared, then up on the wall toward Renik.
He lifts his eyebrows, "Now, did you determine anything about those items, active one?" and he nods toward the gear he and Sunblaze carry.
Arien Wednesday August 29th, 2001 12:33:39 AM
The mention of the Martaeus sends an involuntary shiver down Arien's back as he remembers the events back in the hamlet. Then turning to the others he tells them, "If they are indeed summoning Marteaus we must stop them, after all we do owe him one."
As the Wold Turns (DM Donna) Wednesday August 29th, 2001 6:46:32 AM
Renik's calculations seem to say that the potion duration was on the shorter end of its possible time of effect, but sometimes that is simply the case with potions. Still...you never can really tell whether the eyes of evil are upon you unless you actively try detecting such scrying.
The sound of the chanting drones on as the party discusses what they'll be doing next.
Renik Wednesday August 29th, 2001 7:24:41 AM
"Well I know nothing of this Marteaus character," says Renik, a newcomer to the Hamleteers, "but I do know that going up against 40 wizards capable of generating the magical aura I felt in that room is tantamount to suicide. I vote we continue to hunt for what we came for; whatever is producing those flyers. Once we've taken care of that perhaps we could try to disrupt their ceremony somehow. We should search this building properly; there's a room at the top of the pyramid we didn't check, and more floors below." Renik turns to Rond. "The decision is yours, Rond. What do we do next?"
Rond (undetection time left=several hours) ;) Wednesday August 29th, 2001 12:08:29 PM
(ooc I thought two score was 28? ;) ).
Listening to everyone's comments, Rond takes time to absorb all the information. Commenting to Draax, "Yes, that seems the name. Seems things run in circles."
Pausing to consider his options, Rond makes his decision.
"Renik, I agree that at least for tonight, we need to continue to scout and see if we can find this machine. Then we need to determine if we can steal and/or move it. If not, we'll need to destroy it. Once these steps are done, then we can consider toying with the mages.
Keep in mind, these 40 some mages have still spent the time to hire outside guards. So their power level could be deceiving. But not being a spell caster, I know not what they do. If we have time, maybe we can have a our spell casters try to observe what is going on. This might give some clues as to what is going to happen in a night or two."
Should no other objections come up, Rond will motion for Renik to lead the way to the unexplored portions of the temple.
Draax Wednesday August 29th, 2001 2:22:43 PM
Draax nods his head in agreement with Rond's decision. "Yes, we need to complete our mission and report this new information back to our employer. The involvement of the evil one is too important not to pass to Marcus."
Damocles (Kim) Wednesday August 29th, 2001 9:21:53 PM
The cleric watches the baton passed from Rond to Renik as to which way the group will go. "Yes, friend," he agrees with Draax, "we would do well to report such. As we would do well not to say the names of our allies too freely in these environs."
Arien Thursday August 30th, 2001 1:19:56 AM
"To tell the truth Renik I doubt that it was the mages generating the aura, but rather what they were trying to summon. I suspect that they are likely about the strength of those we encountered near the arena. But still 40 of them could probably handle us with ease."
Sunblaze Thursday August 30th, 2001 4:04:02 AM
Sunblaze listens to the group and then shares her idea. "What if we used my ring of chameleon power to assume the shape of that dwarf. Wound't we have someone on the inside them?" She looked at everyone, wondering if she was nuts or if it was a good idea.
The Huddle Continues Thursday August 30th, 2001 7:12:25 AM
The party continues to consider its options. The chanting continues unabated.
Gnomish d20+5=23 Thursday August 30th, 2001 3:41:56 PM
"So, are you folks lost, or what?" A gnome with a bulbous nose, dressed in medium-green robes with emblems of yellow-orange flames sewn on the left and right breast of the robes, appears a step or two below the top of the spiral stairway which descends to the level below which the party is now on. No one had been paying any particular attention to the continuation of the stairway. Looking more closely, his right hand holds the railing, and his feet hover perhaps a foot above the stair.
"I can offer a guided pyramid tour, for the right price," he says cheerfully, in a nasal voice. "Renik, you wouldn't have a few healing scrolls, now, would you? Or did you spend your money in some other fashion?" At the bottom of his robe on the right side, the tip of a short sword protrudes. He holds a knobby little stick in his left hand. "I hope you appreciate our tight security, here," he says, tapping the stick against his outer thigh.
Draax Thursday August 30th, 2001 5:05:43 PM
Draax listened to the others' comments as he was waiting for Renik to take the lead as per Rond's request. He agrees with Arien's assessment about the group's chances against 40 minor mages. He did not agree or disagree with Sunblaze's suggestion, but he did have a few questions for her about what she is able to accomplish with the ring. Just as he turned to ask Sunblaze the questions he heard the gnome's comments. In the split second it takes to become aware of the danger, Draax thinks up and discards many plans of attack. He slowly turns to observe the speaker. Seeing gnome, the half-elven fighter again goes through his many attack options and after noticing the stick in the gnome's hand and not knowing what it is, he again discards every one. Frustrated, Draax vows to never make a wish again.
Looking up at the gnome, Draax take a casual step away from the others as if to get a better look. He stands there (looking like a cowboy from an old western just before he draws his weapon) flexing his fingers ready to throw one of his concealed wrist daggers if the need arrives.
Draax realizes that the gnome referred to Renik by name, which to him is good and bad. Good because the gnome wants to talk, but bad because he may know too much about the party. Although Draax tries to fight it, he cannot stop the smile that comes to his face as he thinks, 'I can use his knowledge of us as an excuse to my comrades for killing him.' Draax stands there trying to look serious, but he cannot get rid of the smile.
Damocles (Kim) d20+4=23 Friday August 31st, 2001 2:14:49 AM
"He just knows the name because he heard it being used a moment ago." The cleric thinks about glaring at Arien, but exercises self-restraint. "We don't know any gnomes here. At least, I think we don't."
Renik Friday August 31st, 2001 5:53:14 AM
Hearing the voice behind him Renik spins around, his rapier whipping from its sheath. He is wondering how to kill the little man silently when something the gnome says gives him pause. Healing scrolls... money... he has the strangest feeling he has met this fellow before, but for the life of him cannot place the face.
"Hold fast, friends, I believe this one may not be a foe!" he calls to his companions, suddenly remembering with whom he last had that conversation.
Looking up and the gaudily clad gnome he grins and says in a mock-bartering tone (though his rapier remains firmly in hand, dancing lightly at his right hand side) "Guided tours, you say? Of this dusty old place? And what, pray tell, might we expect to pay for such an incomparable treat, my fine Gnomish friend?"
A Friend, Indeed..! (DM Donna) Friday August 31st, 2001 6:23:31 AM
The gnome looks at all of you with amusement.
"You are all just SO lucky that I'm not actually one of these SoD S.O.B.'s..." he replies, sighing--yet his grin doesn't fade away, "...pray, good sirs, allow me to properly introduce myself..." The gnome bows with a flourish, reaching up and sweeping the hat from his head as he bows down low.
Wait a minute--the gnome wasn't wearing a hat before he took it from his head! And the voice... you could swear it belongs to--
"Bill Troublefinder, at your service..!" the little being standing there is NOT a gnome, but the halfling psionic that most (if not all) of you have come to know all too well! He laughs at the others in the party. "Geeeeez--if you could JUST see the looks on your faces..!"
Draax Friday August 31st, 2001 9:21:37 AM
Draax looks up at Bill and with great effort he keeps himself from falling to the floor laughing at himself and the turn of events. He thinks to himself, 'It's just like Bill to get our hearts pumping with a joke and to show how easy it is for the party to be discovered if we remain in the same place for too long.'
He waves for the halfling to come down to them. With a big smile on his face, Draax says, "Please Bill, come down and join us so that we can take turns choking the life out of you for almost scaring the life out of us." Draax does let out a small giggle at his last thought, 'Maybe I can use the joke as an excuse to my comrades for killing the halfling'.
Renik d20+12=29 Friday August 31st, 2001 12:30:28 PM
Renik smiles at the halfling he met back in the catacombs. "Mr Troublefinder, it's a pleasure to meet you again. I never did get those scrolls though, I'm afraid. Are you planning to join us on this little jaunt then?"
To Rond he says "Rond, we have three choices ahead; we can examine the upper level we missed, we can check out those iron doors down the corridor (though they are uncomfortably close to our chanting friends, that may in itself suggest them as the most likely location of our goal), or we can head down another level, and see what lies there. Myself I'm tempted to be thorough; head back up to the top level first, then check behind the iron doors, risky though it is, then move down further if needs be. Are you in agreement?"
If Rond agrees he will head back up the stairs, and check the upper level. If he prefers Renik check another location he will scout that instead.
Either way he will quaff his last remaining invisibility potion, and move off cautiously (Move Silent 29).
(OOC: Welcome back Mr T!)
Arien Friday August 31st, 2001 2:11:10 PM
"Ahh it is good to see you again Bill, as you can see we are in the middle of a little something so I am afraid that a full explanation of why we are here will have to wait. Since you are here I am guessing that you are done with whatever mission you were on. As for this printing machine and where it might be, if I were a Son I would put something so valuable where it would be very hard to steal, either deep within this temple or very very close at hand."
Bill Troublefinder Saturday September 1st, 2001 3:03:00 PM
"Sure, Draax," Bill replies, "But you mean come UP, I'm sure - unless there's a gravity inversion? Your hands should fit around my neck, I'm sure." Bill smiles as he pulls himself up by the railing, and it is clear that he is floating in the air as he ascends from below. [Nobody has gone down to the level below yet.] "Hi, Renik. Join you? Well, I did offer a guided tour, right? And I know the general area to look for what you're seeking - but haven't actually seen it, yet. Hey, Arien. Is that you, Sunblaze? You -- uh, did something with your hair?"
He is about to greet the cleric, then hesitates. "Say - what happened to Spike?" Bill asks, pointing his stick to indicate the armor that Damocles carries. "He's not dead, is he? He's actually one of the more decent thugs, but a little lazy." Bill returns the hat to his head, makes a few adjustments to his face, and again looks like a gnome. His nasal voice returns. "Any of the other guards around? If you killed Spike, maybe I can go talk to them, tell them he took off or something, make sure they don't come looking for whoever did that to him."
He pushes off and floats over to Rond, and punches him on the shoulder. "I heard you're in charge now, ol' buddy. So, whaddaya say?" Bill floats back slowly.
Sunblaze Saturday September 1st, 2001 3:43:10 PM
Sunblaze watches as the Gnome becomes a Halfling, and sees that Bill Troublefinder has returned. She drops the guard which she had spent most of the night setting up. Quickly she walks over to him and smiles. "Took my invitation to heart did yah?" Her eyes glance over the Armor, and then at Bill's questioning. "We sent him to the Red Wyrm Inn. Naked as a Jay Bird." She muffled a laugh. Whispering to Bill, so that Rond won't get angry at the noise she sings a greeting.
"Bill the Halfling left the group, Disappearing from the Wold as we knew. While we all worked, serving soup. When he return he was a Gnome who flew!"
"Now to our work. I'm guessing that your Undercover work was here? Good, Good. Now the ring I used to hide from the dragons can be used to change one of us to look like Spike, and we have his armor, which means we can be the part." She starts to twist her hair with her hand, unknowingly.
Rond (information overload!!! ;) ) Monday September 3rd, 2001 2:31:04 AM
Turning to the stranger's comments, Rond tries to figure out what is going on. With the mention of Renik's name, Rond becomes fearful that the group has somehow become discovered. Feeling his adrenaline level beginning to rise, Rond quickly becomes flabbergasted when the gnome fellow turns out to be Bill T.
While Bill goes about his business, and everyone makes their comments to him, Rond tries to give Bill the HAIRY EYEBALL treatment.
But when Bill taps him on the shoulder, Rond gets all sheepish and says (ooc aww shucks, twernt nothing ;) ), "You've heard correct, though you mustn't have been far behind us, to have kept up on things.
"Spike was dismissed from service, with the promise from me, that his time would at least be covered. The jay bird thing was their idea.
"Renik, I think we should consider getting the closer area out of the way first. Because they're going to find out about Spike eventually, so I'd like to be as far as possible from the chanting, when the alarm sounds. If the closer area actually has the press, we'll need the extra time to try to carry it, if it's possible."
Renik (clarifying post) Monday September 3rd, 2001 6:30:38 AM
"Aye, fair point," nods Renik, and heads off invisibly spider climbing towards the iron doors. (MS 29, see above)
Damocles (Kim) Tuesday September 4th, 2001 1:19:46 AM
"Here I was just noting that we shouldn't be mentioning each others' names, and you toss them all over the room, friend," he lectures Bill. "But the dwarf was sent off, as she mentioned," and he nods towards Sunblaze, "alive and healthy - to the Red Wyrm Inn with his pipe, tobacco, loincloth and three gold pieces, in a bit of a grumbling mood, but with a promise to wait at the Inn. Not quite naked as a jay bird. As you can see, we have the rest of his stuff. You said you think you can talk to the rest of the guard so they won't give the alarm?" And after a beat, Damocles adds, "Oh, and it's good to see you - especially now we know who you are."
Bill Troublefinder Tuesday September 4th, 2001 1:47:28 AM
Bill acknowledges the various greetings from his friends. "To answer your question, Renik, my fee for the guided tour would be -- all the pies I can stomach once we get done here!" He smiles appreciatively at Sunblaze's song. To Arien, he says, "You're right - it's deeper inside, and a fair ways from the entrance."
His expression then turns more serious, and he speaks quickly to Rond. "If you want to get to the press, I can tell you, it's not that way." He moves his chin in the direction of the rite. "I'd just as soon we stay away from those chanters - too much opportunity for traffic between here and there. From here, we can go that direction," and the gnomish halfling indicates the direction that the guards came from and returned to on this level. "There's a chance of bumping into them there, but they'll probably be in some of the rooms we share, and if things go well, I can get you by them. Or, maybe a bit safer - head down the spiral stairs I just came up down to the next level, and we can go from there. Mr. Leader, sir," and he focuses on Rond, "How 'bout I go and tell the guards that Spike has skipped out, mumbling about getting a decent drink, being sick and tired of this place - they'll probably buy it, and just put him 'on report' for now. You all head down the stairs - and skip the 6th step from the bottom. I'll be with you in a few minutes after I talk to the guards. But down that direction," and he points the way that Renik just went, "they've got some security stuff behind the doors we maybe don't wanna mess with right now."
"So, shall I report on Spike's desertion?" he asks Rond, and looks around at the others to see if that seems agreeable to them, too.
He takes off his backpack, and opens it. "Damo - uh, hey you," he says to Damocles. "I've got a bit of room left in my bag. Wanna put any of Spike's stuff in here? Do it fast if you want to, 'cause I don't wanna hang around here." He nods to Sunblaze, too, seeing that she has some of the dwarf's gear.
Damocles (Kim) Tuesday September 4th, 2001 1:55:41 AM
The cleric places Spike's armor in Bill's bag, if it will fit.
More Choices (DM Donna) Tuesday September 4th, 2001 6:09:24 AM
All of the stuff that Spike had does, indeed, fit into the seemingly-bottomless pack that Bill holds open. As the halfling shrugs the haversack on, the party reviews its choices:
1) Whether to have Bill tell the other guards that Spike took off; and
2) Whether to have Bill guide the party to the area that he believes houses the device that they are looking for.
Renik (Invisible, Spider Climbing) d20+12=23 d20+4=6 d20+4=23 Tuesday September 4th, 2001 6:45:11 AM
Renik nods attentively at Bill's words, and sets off down the stairs, spider climbing to avoid having to use any steps at all (Move Silent 23).
When he reaches the bottom he waits silently for his companions to join him, checking the area for possible threats, and getting an idea of the lay of the land (Spot 4(the +4 should be +2): gaah). Once he is happy he is alone, he will take a closer look at the sixth step from the bottom, checking to see how it is trapped, and whether it can be disabled easily (Search 23).
Rond Tuesday September 4th, 2001 7:44:11 AM
"Weelll. You were a factor that we weren't anticipating. If you think telling on Spike will give us some extra time, then make it happen. We can meet you where indicated, and then try to get the press. We're either going to steal it, or destroy it, which ever we have time for. By the way, we all have spider climb slippers, or flight available to us. We also have some other nifty things with us." Rond smiles as he says his last sentence.
Bill Troublefinder Tuesday September 4th, 2001 6:56:38 PM
"'Nifty things,' huh? Great! Okay, you head down the stairs. Nobody was there a few minutes ago. You can wait for me there, or head down the corridor on the easternmost side of the southern wall. If you want a safe place to wait, open the second door on the left side of that corridor. There's a metal rod inside the room that you can use to lock the door. I'll probably join you in five minutes. If I'm not back in ten minutes - best go on without me. Later!"
Unless someone detains him with a question or such, Bill waves in parting, and heads to the corridor that the ineffective guards went down several minutes ago. Still levitating, his foot touches down lightly for an occasional pushoff from the ground.
Sunblaze Tuesday September 4th, 2001 7:49:26 PM
As Sunblaze goes down the stairs she seems to be less nimble than she was minutes ago. Her eyes are watching around, and she is making sure that each step is on secure footing. She looks quizzically at the 6th step. Bill was playing a trick? Perhaps, but it wasn't worth the risk.
Damocles (Kim) d20=16 Tuesday September 4th, 2001 10:43:49 PM
Damocles takes the first several steps down the spiral staircase. Once he can see the floor below over the railing, if there is room to do it, he extends his 'wings', and descends in a spiral to the floor, eyes alert. (Spot 16+?) [How far down is it to the next level? How big is the landing?]
Draax Wednesday September 5th, 2001 12:44:17 AM
Draax descends down the stairs, he makes sure that he follows the others example by not stepping on the 6th stair.
Arien Wednesday September 5th, 2001 1:01:33 AM
As Arien descends the stairs with the others he too avoids the sixth stair.
Skip a Step, Then Pass "GO" (DM Donna) Wednesday September 5th, 2001 6:41:23 AM
Those who make a Spot check of 11 or better can see Bill's handiwork on that sixth step--a cleverly-rigged trip rope. Whether or not party members see it, avoiding the step is simple to do and doesn't require any additional checks at all.
The spiral stairs end on this lowest level, and the party encounters nothing on their way to the room described by Bill.
Meanwhile, Back at the Guard Room... (DM Donna) Wednesday September 5th, 2001 6:47:19 AM
Bill must make a Disguise check versus DC10 because he has to replace his hat and look like the gnome he'd been disguised as before.
Bill, too, encounters nothing on the way to the guard room. Inside the chamber, Bolgus is at one table, bragging to his fellow mages about some spell that he used on a cleric of Alemi and using sickeningly graphic phrases to describe the torture that he put the priest through. The mercenaries are at another table (ignoring the boastful spellcaster), with some of them playing cards, others drinking, and one of them sharpening a longsword.
Rond d20=13 Wednesday September 5th, 2001 11:26:08 AM
Prior to Bill's departure, Rond asks, "What's the knock sequence to know it's you?"
Rond walks down the spiral stair case, using the wall as his anchor point. As he hovers over the sixth stair, he sees Bill's handiwork. He then continues on down the corridor to the safety of a locked room. Should anyone hesitate, or stop, Rond will indicate to keep going via the directions that Bill gave.
Bill Troublefinder (as Greener, the gnome) d20+17=30 d20+10=26 Wednesday September 5th, 2001 11:29:06 AM
"Two shorts, two longs, and two shorts," Bill answers Rond. Then he briefly pulls out his disguise kit, uses the lighted mirror and a spot of makeup to touch up as he adjusts his hat of disguise. [Disguise check vs DC10: 30.] Satisfied, he adjusts his levitating gait to be a bit more gnomish, and heads toward the guard rooms.
Bill speaks up in his nasal, tweedy voice. "My, my, Bolgus, but don't you have a talent for torture? Hate to interrupt your mageship, but thought you and the crew should hear this. Ol' Spike's done gone and left us. Yep, he did. Was makin' my rounds, when he takes to puffin' his pipe, and chewin' his cheeks, and mumbling into his beard 'bout this 'n that as he climbs the stairs. So I go up the stairs. The mummy's just there, actin' scary and all. Spike says he's had enough, ain't takin' no more, don't try to stop him, and he quits. Goes off for a drink. Pushes out the door - he's a strong one, no doubt, and disappears. Thought I should tell you, cause I didn't wanna try rasslin' him in the mood he's in." Greener leans against the wall, waiting to see how Bolgus and the crew respond to this news.
[Anticipatory spellcraft check: 26]
Draax d20+1=4 Wednesday September 5th, 2001 11:14:31 PM
After avoiding the steps, Draax takes a look at it, but cannot see any difference from the others. He shrugs his shoulders and heads to the room with the others to wait for Bill.
Damocles (Kim) d20=10 Thursday September 6th, 2001 1:40:08 AM
Swooping down to the landing, the cleric of Alemi looks about, taking a measure of the room. He looks to see if there are torches every fifteen to twenty feet or so, as in the areas above. Damocles looks to see if there is anything else unusual here [Spot check 10+?], and how many corridors, doors, or other items are in this area. If nothing in particular stands out, he heads with Draax along the easternmost corridor on the southern wall to the second door on the left. Weapon in hand, he goes to open the door.
Renik Thursday September 6th, 2001 5:49:05 AM
Renik, following Bill's instructions, opens the second door on the left, and slips inside. It is a great relief to know they have an inside man. Halfling. Gnome even. He just hopes Bill's subterfuge upstairs goes smoothly...
Employers' Blues (DM Donna) Thursday September 6th, 2001 6:17:12 AM
"Quit? QUIT???" Bolgus echoes, his rather pinched face finally looking almost normal as a flood of angry blood suffuses the mage's face. "Why that lazy little weasel! I'll fix HIS wagon..!" He begins to chant and gesture.
"Now, Bolgus, you know we'd thought that Spike was a bit of a...uh oh..." one of the other mages starts to attempt to placate the human, but apparently the elf recognizes the spell that Bolgus is casting and simply shuts up.
Bill's best guess is that Bolgus is casting some kind of disintegration spell...which the incensed wizard confirms with the following statement:
"Well--wherever he is, that dumb dwarf is standing around in nothing but his loincloth! HA!" The other guards snicker and guffaw at that mental picture.
"Waste of energy, Bolgus," the elf who'd spoken earlier points out, but loses interest in the whole subject and returns to the book he's been reading.
"Grinchler--" Bolgus says to Bill with the air of someone conferring a great reward onto a less-than-worthy recipient, "--here's a bonus for informing on the deserter! You're dismissed." The wizard hands the disguised halfling a couple of copper pieces. The reading elf harrumphs and says something about how Greener can now afford to get that flying carpet with such generosity. But Bolgus doesn't catch the low aside.
Everyone in the room seems to take "Greener's" story about Spike at face value.
Meanwhile, One Level Below... (DM Donna) Thursday September 6th, 2001 6:21:45 AM
Damocles notices that the basic arrangement of the area is initially like the stairway chamber above (lighting and all). The rest of the party encounters nobody else on their way to Bill's room.
Bill the halfling, aka Greener the gnome Thursday September 6th, 2001 9:56:19 AM
When Bolgus describes Spike's current sartorial splendor, Greener's eyes get wide. "You mean you can strip naked someone you can't even see?" He gives a low whistle of appreciation. "Won't that arouse the base desires of any dwarf ladies who see him?"
Greener looks down at the coppers in his hand. "A bonus? Thanks. I'll use this wisely." He wiggles his eyebrows at the elf who suggested the magic carpet.
Just before leaving the room, Greener says, "Hey, Slappy, you've got some foam on your philtrum." He points to the groove betwixt the nose and upper lip. "Okay, guys, take it easy. Loincloth. Heh-heh!" Greener snickers with a nasal laugh as he exits.
If no one detains him, Greener heads back the way he came. He places the two copper pieces in the darkest spot he can find along the side of the landing room below.
Arriving in a few minutes at the safe room [I hope], Greener/Bill, if the door is closed, knocks with a pair of short, a pair of long, and a second pair of short raps. Assuming the door is opened, Bill steps in, closes the door behind him, and says, "Okay, we should be good to go. Just let me change into something more comfortable. Uh, Sunblaze, you wouldn't mind looking away for a minute, would you?" As Bill removes the green gnomish outfit for his own clothes, he fully relates what just happened with the guards and Bolgus. Curious, he checks to see if Spike's armor and other accoutrements are still in his bag, or if Bolgus' spell somehow affected that. He carefully takes the built-up extension to his nose off, placing it in his disguise kit. He grabs a block of cheese from his bag, and begins slicing it, offering some to his friends. Bill says, "All right, let me tell you a little more about this place."
The hobbit hunkers down, sitting his back to the wall. "Near as I can tell, this is the lowest level of the pyramid. We're a ways underground. This is the mages' level of the headquarters for the Sons of Dread, and the high mucky-mucks are in charge. Now the route to where I think the scroll printer is passes by various places. Bolgus' mistress is in a room just down the hall from here. There are ventilation openings in lots of places - some are maybe a foot square, then there are bigger ones, too. Some are big enough for someone my size to crawl through, but Damocles or Rond - you'd never fit.
"There are lots of visible doors, and a few hidden ones. I've found one of those that may help us get out of here when it's time to git. Okay, most important, though, is that there's a place with a large door - lots of ornate carvings on it. They do something, they call it 'taking someone in for collection.' Anyways, a couple of people were dragged or carried in there, and I haven't seen them come out. There's a room, maybe 20 by 20 feet, with a bunch of benches and chairs, and another fancy door on the other side of that room. None of the guards I've talked with have been through the second door. I'd bet - two coppers - that we'll find the scroll maker somewhere beyond that."
Bill nibbles on his cheese, and eats some hardtack from his iron rations. As he chews, he says, "Now would be a good time to go. The mages are in the middle of their rites, so aren't too likely to be wanderin' down here for a while. But we shouldn't wait too long." He pulls out a waterskin, and takes a swig. Wiping his mouth, he adds, "If we're lucky, we won't run into anyone to speak of till we get to the room I mentioned. If we're not lucky..." and he shrugs his shoulders.
"It's good to see you all," he finishes with a happy smile. "I leave out anything you wanna know?" he asks.
Sunblaze Thursday September 6th, 2001 8:07:39 PM
Sunblaze smiles at Bill's comment about her turning away. "Fine then," with a snicker in her voice. Carefully she listens to Bill, making sure to mentally note the vents.
"If Damocles or Rond can't fit that's fine, somebody must have some spells that could fix that. If not then we might not be able to use that." She nibbles on a piece of cheese as she talks. She pulls out a piece of dried meat from her belt pouch (Germ filled beef jerky :s) and chews on it.
"Also, the people who were dragged away may, if they are still alive, be able to help us. Or they may wished to be freed, either way, they can provide a good distraction." Waiting for a response from the group, she continues. "If we can find a way to collapse this building, then we can solve the battling problem. We don't want to be forced to fight them all."
Damocles (Kim) Friday September 7th, 2001 12:58:26 AM
Damocles joins the others in the room. He listens to what Bill has to say, and looks to see if he can spot any ventilation ducts coming into this room. "Any idea how many guards are typically at that room? You're not expecting any of us to travel through any vents, now, are you? Do you have a map sketched out of this place?"
When Sunblaze puts forward the notion of collapsing the pyramid, Damocles looks at her and asks, "How do you propose to collapse an 800 foot tall and 800 foot broad pyramid? How many innocent people around the pyramid might be killed or maimed if you somehow succeeded? How ... oh, never mind. What if we flooded it, though? The river is not so far away." He gets a faraway look in his eyes, then shakes his head. "You're infecting me, Sunblaze. Infecting me with zany ideas!"
Rond Friday September 7th, 2001 2:17:05 AM
Glad to see his friend once again, Rond listens intently to what Bill has to say. Too wound up for the situation that they are in, Rond refuses the cheese from Bill. He does take time to wet his mouth somewhat, since it has this habit of drying up on him.
"As long as we agree as to where everyone wants to end up, I can probably stick to the ceiling. But I think we should keep the vents as a possible escape route, and keep everyone together. That's if you feel the mages haven't explored the temple that much. It's hard to tell from our vantage point, whether they might have had time to booby trap stuff."
At Sunblaze's suggestion, Rond pauses, and then rolls his eyes.
"If we feel we have the time, we might want to come back to this room,or other rooms that have ventilation ducts, and lock the door, and leave by the ventilation ducts. Just to give the temple staff, something to do."
Arien Friday September 7th, 2001 3:17:59 AM
"Regardless to whether or not we can do anything to the temple it is as Bill said, we should not stay around here too long. I suggest that we stay in group now, whether one person or the group is discovered the effects will be the same, also together we have a better chance of stopping someone than one person would alone. Now if I can suggest something, since Bill is familiar with the layout around here, he should take a place in the front so that he can guide us."
Considerations (DM Donna) Friday September 7th, 2001 6:40:07 AM
Bill finds that, for all his bluster and pomposity, Bolgus IS a rather effective wizard...for all of Spike's possessions--even his money--is naught but dust now. Oh, well.
After thinking for a moment about Sunblaze's comment about potential help from any prisoners, Bill recalls that there is no such facility in the pyramid--that he knows of--that could house captives...not living ones, anyhow. Likewise, the halfling is of the opinion that there isn't any easy way to collapse the pyramid; the river may be nearby, but it would take stronger magic and psionic powers than the party currently possesses for that waterway to be sufficiently diverted.
Renik (invisible) Friday September 7th, 2001 9:38:05 AM
A disembodied voice, that has been silent for a little while, comments, "It seems we have little choice but to follow Mr Troublefinder, locate our objective, and escape by whatever means are available. If you wish I can come with you, Mr Troublefinder, or move slightly ahead to ensure no wandering enemies come upon us unawares."
Draax Friday September 7th, 2001 4:34:50 PM
While listening to what everyone has to say, Draax gives a little jump as Renik's voice comes out of nowhere. He silently berates himself for forgetting about his invisible comrade. Since the decision to leave this room has been made, he waits by the door for Bill to take the lead.
Bill Troublefinder d20+8=24 Saturday September 8th, 2001 1:05:42 AM
"Well, friend," he answers Damocles, "do you know you just said someone's name? I have a map, and it's right here," he says, pointing to his forehead. "Didn't think it was safe to be jotting such stuff down. But let me show you." As he speaks, he pulls a handful of light brown flour from his bag, and sprinkles it on the ground before him. As he speaks, he draws a map with his finger, showing chambers, corridors, a few secret doors, and such. His compact body floats just off the floor. In a few spots he draws question marks. He then pulls out a piece of paper, and does a quick sketch, with a few notes on it. "Hey, spiderman, where ever you are, grab this, memorize it, then let's burn it." He allows only Renik to see it. "If something happens to me, then I want at least one other person to know this." After a pause, he says, looking up to Rond, "Oh, pal, maybe I should have asked you, first. I'm thinking if anyone is going to try to read our minds, it's better if not all of us know what's planned next. But if you think one more person should know the plan, that's your call."
He waits until everyone has seen his floor sketch, then uses his finger to draw several other lines, figures, and such, so that anyone would be hard pressed to know what in the world the scribblings were all about. "Ignore this here," he says. He lets them sit for a minute or so, then blows the flour away, and rubs out any remnants of his markings.
"Also, I've got a few things we might use on anyone who tries to follow us, assuming we get what we came for. The gist of it is, we don't leave the way we came in. Also, there is a small chance that we'll have some more help from inside here," he adds, thinking of his friend Sedar.
Looking to Arien, he answers him, "You're right - we need to stick together." To Sunblaze and Rond's suggestion to use the ventilation shafts, he says, "Maybe as a last resort, and if anybody can figure out how to get you all and what we're carrying through them." To Renik's suggestion that the two of them go first, he says, "Sounds good, spiderman."
Finally, Bill arranges a few items toward the top of his bag for ready access. "All right - everyone set? Any spells anyone wants to cast before we go, or other prep - potions, whatever?" While others do their thing, Bill launches a couple of ioun stones to orbit his head, holds his sword in his left hand, has a dart in his right. "With no obstacles, we should be outside the room we're aiming for in, oh, five to eight minutes of walking. Let's go. Got the door, tough guy?" he asks Draax.
Sunblaze Saturday September 8th, 2001 7:50:57 PM
Sunblaze carefully chooses her next words, so that the group does not think she is trying to endanger someone.
"We could get the wizards to attack us, and possibly with their force, THEY could take this building down. Or they could avert the river. We don't need to be able to do it ourselves, just have a way of getting it done." She winks at Damocles for a moment, a twinkle in her other eye. The group might remember that Sunblaze has always wanted to see the higher magics.
Bill Troublefinder Sunday September 9th, 2001 1:00:04 PM
"Sweet elf," Bill replies to Sunblaze, "Bolgus the mage just managed to selectively disintegrate all of Spike's possessions, including the ones in my bag. I'm not motivated to arouse such as him to wrath against us. Please don't do anything more than we've been sent to do to get the wizards on our tail. Otherwise, I take it you're set to go?"
Arien Sunday September 9th, 2001 10:29:12 PM
"Well Sunblaze if you really want to do that it'd be fine with me, just wait until the rest of us are out of the place ok? I've no desire to be buried under tons of rock, even if either of your plans would work. Anyway, enough of the chatter, I really suggest we get moving before we get either of Sunblaze's plans as forced choices."
Rond Sunday September 9th, 2001 11:10:03 PM
Listening to Bill, Rond does his best to follow what Bill has laid out. When Bill asks, "It's no problem. You happen to have inside information that we didn't have before."
When Bill's conversation ends, Rond listens to the other minor comments. At Sunblaze's comment, "Well, if we could build something convincing, I'd think about it. But since these people are all mages, I don't think anything of the illisionary type is going to work against them. So there goes the 'fire so big, they have to port in the river' trick.
When everything else is said and done, and Bill asks about final preps. "I think we did all our spell preps at the front door. We don't have much time left on at least one spell, I think. But the other one has plenty of time. "
Bill Troublefinder Monday September 10th, 2001 12:42:34 AM
"Fine. Here we go." And the halfling leads the way, with Renik overhead, towards their goal. As they take their first turn to the left, Bill points with his thumb to a door on the right. "That's where Bolgus keeps his lady. Makes out to the rest of them that he's free from temptations to the flesh, but still keeps a lady." He mentions other points of interest along the way, until they near the room with the carved door.
Doorway to the Unknown (DM Donna) Monday September 10th, 2001 6:50:57 AM
Sunblaze's yearnings to see higher magic will have to go unfulfilled, since the rest of the party points out with various levels of logic that getting 40+ mages ticked off at you while inside their stomping grounds just is not the wisest of ideas. The next several minutes of creeping along the corridors, while tense, are otherwise uneventful.
Finally Bill signals everyone to halt, pointing at a large stone door. It's quite elaborately carved, with the faces and depictions of all kinds of bloodthirsty-looking demons and devils and such on it. Just looking at it sends a shiver down the spines of the party members.
Renik (invisible) Monday September 10th, 2001 6:56:46 AM
"We need to go in here?" Renik is glad no one can see him shudder. "Ah well, no-one said this was going to be pretty." He makes a mental note of their position on the map that Bill briefly showed him, and plots possible escape routes from this point before proceeding. ---- [Renik - the piece of paper Bill gave him outlined an escape route, with a couple of forks in the path that rejoined later. A handwritten note explained how to open a secret door on the southwestern side, near the corner. Bill burned the paper after Renik read it, since Rond didn't indicate anyone else should read it after Bill deferred to him. -Kim]
Sunblaze-Demons, Devils and Tigers, OH MY Monday September 10th, 2001 9:06:33 PM
Sunblaze looks at the group, knowing that they remember her yearning for magic. She shrugs it off and begins to follow the group.
The doorway begins to freak her out and she wonders if turning back is an option. "Don't suppose we could... yah know leave." She looks at the faces of the group and then nods. "I know..."
Rond Monday September 10th, 2001 11:21:27 PM
Feeling sorta morbid Rond comments, "I'm not sure that our employer doesn't keep company with some of these guys," Rond half-smiles to the group.
"None of these things have any kind of protections sewn into them, do they?" Looking at Bill, and the spellcasters of the group.
Arien d20+12=30 d20+7=27 d20+10=20 Tuesday September 11th, 2001 12:04:37 AM
As the group stands in front of the door Arien moves closer in to examine it. Without touching it he examines the door as best he can, taking advantage of the magical qualities of his cloak he makes sure to examine the upper areas of the door as well. He is of course looking for both mundane and magical traps that might be hidden on the door. (Search = 30; Spot = 27; and a Knowledge: Arcana = 20)
Draax Tuesday September 11th, 2001 12:43:25 AM
Draax looks at the evil looking door. "Just our luck." He waits, anxious to continue, but secretly hoping that they are unable to open the door.
Bill Troublefinder d20+15=31 d20+5=23 d20+5=19 d20+5=18 d20+5=11 d20+8=22 Tuesday September 11th, 2001 12:48:55 AM
"Boy, I don't know," Bill answers Rond. He re-examines the door in light of this question, levitating up and down to get a closer look, and pulling out a magnifying lens to check a few details. [Knowledge Arcana 31; Knowledge History 23; Knowledge the Planes 19; Knowledge Religion 18; Knowledge Architecture & Engineering 11; Autohypnosis (to memorize features and layout of door) 22.]
"Well, pretty fearsome. I'll tell you what I think in a sec, but usually one of the guards just pushes down on that latch there and opens the door." He scratches behind his ear. "Then there's that twenty foot square room with benches and chairs, and another scary door on the other side." He puts the magnifying lens away.
Damocles (Kim) Tuesday September 11th, 2001 2:12:28 AM
Damocles stands there, looking at the images for a moment, then shuts his eyes, and focuses his mind on Alemi.
Mystery Portal (DM Donna) Tuesday September 11th, 2001 6:22:04 AM
Both Bill and Arien quickly tell that the door is very high quality work that is made to appear as old as the rest of the pyramid, but is actually quite new. It's locked, but doesn't appear to be trapped. Opening the lock will require either a Knock spell or a skill check versus DC 15.
Bill Troublefinder Tuesday September 11th, 2001 10:35:38 AM
Bill explains what he's found to the others. "Anyone want to try to unlock it? You have that chime of opening?" he asks. If no one else is able to open it, he will use the knock power, but wants to see if another is able to do it mechanically, to conserve his rather limited power.
Sunblaze-Doorway to Hell? Tuesday September 11th, 2001 8:34:15 PM
Sunblaze scanned the door for only a moment before realizing that it wasn't what she wanted to mess with.
"Bill, I know your spells are limited, but I believe that it would be the most help because we need to be silent to get behind whatever is there and possibly quietly." A small smile crossed her face, and she gave Bill a wink. "And if you're worried about your spell powers, don't worry -- I can protect you if yah need it." She snickered at him and then got back to looking at the door.
(OOC: Autohypnosis, Is that a skill? Or does everyone have the ability to try?) ------- [Yes, it's a new skill, described in the Psionics Handbook. -Kim]
Rond Tuesday September 11th, 2001 11:10:26 PM
"Unfortunately we lost that on the first thing we opened, which was the front door. I'm no good at this kind of stuff." Looking at Arien Rond says, "It's either for you, or our invisible friend to do this."
Bill Troublefinder d20+8=25 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 1:33:57 AM
"Protect me? Oh, thanks." Bill's eyes open wider for an instant. "Oh," he says, pulling a lumpy bag out of his backpack. He takes vials out, and hands one to each person in the party (and floats up so that Renik can grab one). "These are healing potions." [CLW, 1d8, reroll 1's.] He hands Damocles two scrolls, and Sunblaze two scrolls. "Cure Light Wound scrolls - a bard or cleric should be able to read these." The halfling notes where people put their scrolls and vials.
Then, unless Renik or Arien opens the door, Bill will concentrate on the latch. He stands to the side, not directly in front of the door. An ectoplasmic slime appears momentarily around the locked area, and the door opens [or it should]. [3 PwPt, DC 25+2=27 (forgot to add the level of the power to the knock roll)]
Arien d20+10=24 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 2:03:39 AM
"Yeah, I'll give it a try." Arien says while approaching the lock. With a few deft twists of his wrists and picks he trips the tumbler; then he stands back and motions for someone else to open the door.
Renik (invisible) d20+4=5 d20+12=19 d20+2=4 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 5:50:45 AM
Renik looks up from his pack, which he has been rummaging through to retrieve his lockpick tools. Seeing that Arien has made short work of the lock, he stows his gear away once more, and smiles "Smoothly done, friend. Allow me." Waiting for others to move back a little he attempts to open the door very carefully, mindful of traps (Search 5: Gaah!). If he opens it without getting blasted, he creeps into the room (Move Silent 19) and checks out the interior (Spot 4 Gaah again!). Once he is satisfied it is safe, he will quietly call the others in.
Behind Door #1... (DM Donna) Wednesday September 12th, 2001 6:09:36 AM
Arien's abilities come in handy as the door opens with a soft "k-snick". Renik succeeds in nearly scaring the bejeebers out of himself when he thinks he's possibly sounded some kind of alarm... but within the room is nothing but the benches and other door opposite the one just opened.
Anyone checking the door will find it locked, also. The standard DC15 exists to check for traps and to unlock it.
Renik (Invisible) d20+4=21 d20+8=11 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 7:17:53 AM
Renik examines the second door carefully (Search 21) and (assuming that no traps are found) is pretty confident that the door is safe.
(Only if he finds no traps:) He reaches for his lockpick, and attempts to pop the lock as Arien did, but the attempt proves fruitless. Stepping back in frustration Renik murmurs to Arien with a smile, "Well, it's got me stumped. You'd best show me how it's done!"
Bill Troublefinder d20+15=25 d20+5=20 d20+5=9 d20+5=25 d20+5=11 d20+8=18 d20+3=23 d20+10=30 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 9:12:51 AM
Bill goes through a similar routine with the second door. Is it identical in features to the first door? If different, here are his rolls: [Knowledge Arcana 25; Knowledge History 20; Knowledge the Planes 9; Knowledge Religion 25; Knowledge Architecture & Engineering 11; Autohypnosis (to memorize features and layout of door) 18; Spot (looking for traps) 23.]
Bill will wait for Arien to try to unlock it. Only if Arien has trouble will Bill knock it open (DC 30). [Wow, two nat 20's in a row!]
Draax Wednesday September 12th, 2001 5:41:44 PM
Draax steps into the first room, but makes sure to stay out of the others' way as they attempt to open the other door.
Arien d20+12=20 d20+10=24 Wednesday September 12th, 2001 6:28:09 PM
Once he can tell that Renik has vacated the area with the lock, Arien examines the lock for traps and if he is satisfied that there are none he again easily opens the lock.
Damocles (Kim) Wednesday September 12th, 2001 8:33:16 PM
Damocles, looking around to see if all are ready, opens the now unlocked door.
Sunblaze-More Demons Wednesday September 12th, 2001 9:47:26 PM
Sunblaze watches the door intently, then when she realizes that all she is doing is walking closer to it she checks for cracks that Trent could slide through.
Then she realizes it's opened and she bravely follows Damocles, pushing herself forward, knowing another door awaits them here. Her hands nimble and ready to perform her spells.
Taking What's Behind Door #2 (DM Donna) d20+6=10 Thursday September 13th, 2001 6:38:26 AM
The door that Arien unlocks is actually a plain (though thick and quite sturdy) door. Bill's contemplations (OOC: I'm applying them to the first, more ornately carved door) identify several generic types of evil outsider lifeforms, but no one of the representations are really any too specific. It was an imposing door of demons & devils. Period.
The room beyond the second, plain door is revealed to the party: a square room, twenty-five or so feet on each side; opposite the door you just opened is a pair of doors--each door looks to be about three feet wide... but they are almost three feet up off the floor, and only about three feet high each. One would think of them more as security shutters for windows rather than doors... except that you all know you are deep underground.
Between the party and these doors is strange-looking contraption--looking like the product of a fevered gnome's nightmares:
Four wrought-metal legs and a metallic tabletop support the collection of gears, rollers, spindles and assorted other parts. On one side of the contraption is attached a shallow metal rectangular pan. On the other side of the machine is attached a pair of metal channels that have a series of straps with buckles all along them. Between these two channels is affixed a strange, semi-circular frame--also made of metal and also with a strap & buckle on it.
There is a long bench along the eastern wall of this room. (OOC: I'll be sending a map of the room to all the players.)
Anybody wishing to examine the machine further must make a Spellcraft/Psicraft check versus DC19.
Bill Troublefinder d20+10=11 d20+4=9 d20+15=19 Thursday September 13th, 2001 9:33:57 AM
Despite earlier having dressed as a gnome, Bill seems stumped by this apparently gnomish contraption. [Spellcraft/Psicraft 11.] He does offer a few speculations, nevertheless. "I wonder what these straps are for? Tying something, or someone, down? And the rollers?" He takes a piece of parchment from his bag, and carefully sees if it might fit in the rollers. "How 'bout the rest of you? Any ideas, Sun, uh, lady?" he asks, almost forgetting for the moment Damocles' warnings about mentioning names. "What goes in this pan, do you suppose?" Bill sniffs at it. [Search 9.] After focusing all his attention on the ornate door, the halfling's senses appear to be momentarily dulled. [Though his knowledge of arcana [19] may help him a little bit.] He is fluent in gnomish, so looks around - above, beneath, on the sides - to see if there is any writing on the device.
Rond Friday September 14th, 2001 1:18:41 AM
Examining the device, Rond tries to estimate its weight, and how many people would be needed to carry it. "Bill, do you have extra blank paper, in which you can try to draw this contraption? I'd like to get a copy written down, in case we have to destroy this at any time."
Renik (invisible) d20+4=15 d20+2=16 d20+4=10 d20+4=21 Friday September 14th, 2001 5:42:16 AM
Renik examines the contraption and the surrounding room, attempting to determine if it is trapped in any way (Search 15). He tries to fathom what the various components could be used for (INT 16), and how the machine might be best disabled (Disable Device 10). He makes sure he touches nothing in the process.
His examination of the machine complete, he moves to the door in the Southern wall, and holds his ear close to it, straining to hear any activity beyond it (Listen 21).
Investigating the Thing-a-ma-bob (DM Donna) d20+1=17 d20+6=23 Friday September 14th, 2001 6:42:59 AM
Rond makes an Intelligence check (which *I* rolled for him, but the player should remember to do this next time {hint, hint!} he has Rond attempt something like this), and thus calculates that the machine can be detached from the table. It would DEFINITELY be unwieldy and cumbersome, but it would only weigh about 25 pounds or so. At its present size, however, even the detached machine will not fit into the mouth of any of the party's present backpacks, bags or other containers.
Renik hears nothing through the door.
Damocles peers intently at the alien apparatus, eyeing it with a faint feeling of dread.
"Not that I'm an expert," he says as he pokes idly at this part or that, "But I think Bill is correct about putting paper or parchment over here, then the sheets would get pulled through these rollers here, and then come out and pile up in this pan over here. But these channels...hmmm..." The cleric walks around to the side opposite the destination pan, then--after scrutinizing the machine some more seems to notice something else, frowning thoughtfully.
"Didn't you say that you've seen--or know of--people brought into this room...but that they DON'T come out?" Damocles addresses Bill directly. When the halfling replies, the priest of Alemi frowns even deeper, then casts a Detect Evil spell on the machine.
It begins to glow a malevolent, dull crimson.
Renik (Invisible) Friday September 14th, 2001 7:57:24 AM
"You mean you think this machine consumes people in order to function? That's disgusting! And our sponsor wants us to bring him this thing? Hmmm." Were Renik visible the others would see serious consternation on his face.
"I say we destroy it. This thing shouldn't exist, regardless of who has it. The ability to mass produce information is a powerful political tool, and given of what I have seen of our sponsor, I am not convinced he would not find some justification to use this thing, fueled by souls of his enemies. In our line of work we must expect to have to kill without mercy, but this is far beyond that. This contraption is quite simply evil. No, better that we destroy it utterly - and quietly."
Arien d20+12=26 d20+4=19 Friday September 14th, 2001 1:42:00 PM
"Actually if we can take a piece off or two, to bring the main piece there down to about 20 pounds I have a way to make sure that even if we are found that they won't find the thing easily." Arien then wanders around the machine looking for any pieces that could be easy removed to reduce the size. (Search Roll = 26; Intelligence roll = 19)
Bill Troublefinder d20+8=24 d20+8=22 Friday September 14th, 2001 4:58:50 PM
Bill, at Rond's request, takes out some paper, ink, and an inkpen. Before he begins sketching, though, he walks around the device, taking mental images (Autohypnosis, 24 & 22, working on memorizing the whole thing). He stretches out his arms, using his body to measure various parts of the device, then begins to jot down a quick sketch, along with notes. He checks the texture of the rollers, trying to determine what they are made out of. "Clever device."
"I can make it levitate," Bill offers.
When questioned by the cleric Damocles, Bill responds, "Yes, that's right. At least I never saw them come back out." Then he looks at the double doors the party has not yet gone through. "Maybe they went on that way."
Then, as Damocles reveals the evil aura of the device, Bill modifies his earlier evaluation. "Fiendishly clever."
When Renik suggests the destruction of the device, Bill responds, "So, we agree that this is the magic scroll maker? I wonder if a similar device could be made, not for making magic scrolls, but just regular writing. You could write stories that people would enjoy, or tell about interesting things going on, or give instructions on how to grow beans, or make pies, or, things like that..." The halfling pauses, reining in his growing enthusiasm. "Oh, sorry. I just have this notion that evil is kind of a twisting of what's good. This thing here is an example of creativity that got bent the wrong direction. Like making people think they're chickens."
He takes a breath, then says, "So, yeah, let's take it apart as we can, get it out of here quick so they can't use it anymore, maybe bust it up some more once we've got it outside, and deliver some pieces of it to Mr. M. What do you think? Damocles - your church have something to take the evil outta things? Like fire?" As he finishes up his little speech, Bill pulls a canvas tarp out of his backpack, and unfolds it to 15'x20'. "We can cover it with this. Who's gonna take it off the table top? Let's do this fast, friends." Bill, holding on to the unfolded tarp, levitates up to the ceiling just above the double doors, bunching it up so that the bottom of the tarp is just above the doors. He figures he can move from there to cover the machine, or offer a welcome with the drop cloth should someone come through the unexplored doors.
Sunblaze d20+5=17 d20+4=10 d20+5=21 Friday September 14th, 2001 6:10:11 PM
Sunblaze carefully listens around, knowing that the machine might be working still (Listen: +5 [+1rank, +2wis, +2race]=17). She looks at it, as if it would bite her friends at any moment. She examines every bit of it herself, as if she wanted to trust her own instincts (Spot: +4 [+2 race, +2 wis]=10) (Search: +5 [+2 race, +3 int]=21).
"Elgg lil Verin, Marcus Zhal Naut Inbal Nindol." Sunblaze's elven words mean, to those who understand. "Destroy the Evil, Marcus shall not have this!" She speaks, not with hatred, but with understanding that too many have died at the hands of this machine.
Draax Friday September 14th, 2001 10:04:54 PM
Draax looks at the machine as he listens to the others. At that moment he realizes that he never actually believed that they would find the machine, but he also never thought that they would run into Bill.
"My vote is to take it apart if anyone knows how and put the individual pieces in Bill’s bag if they are small enough or some of us can carry the pieces. We can decide how to destroy it or give it to Marcus when we are away from here. If we can’t take it apart and one of you know how to destroy it here, then let's do that."
Draax really does not care if they destroy the device or give it to Marcus as long as they get it away from the Dread.
Bill Troublefinder Friday September 14th, 2001 11:46:24 PM
"Great, we agree. But I think Arien should hide part in his way, too. I may be fine at dissembling, but not disassembling. Renik, Arien, somebody, let's stop jawing and get working. I'll handle the curtains here. Someone watch the doors. Take that thing apart. Sound good, Rond?" He gives up on Damocles' counsel not to mention names, since the cleric keeps forgetting himself.
The Evil of Technology (DM Donna) Saturday September 15th, 2001 7:52:19 AM
The expression on Damocles' face clearly shows that the cleric does NOT like this machine at all... especially when Bill--in making his comparisons for his sketching of the device--stretches his arms out.
"Ahhh--see? See?" Damocles points to the metal channels. "This is fashioned so that somebody stands in front of this end, places one of their arms in each channel like so..." He demonstrates by mimicking placing his arms on the metal holders, then Damocles points to the curious, oval-shaped frame.
"...one's face would be pushed into this frame--and obviously the straps would hold the victim in quite securely. The gods alone know what would happen next--but if the 'collected' people's lack of reappearing is anything to go by, then I think that Rond's theory about 'consuming people' is a valid one. No wonder this thing is radiating pure evil!" Damocles shudders.
Arien's inspection reveals that--while the machine is able to be removed from the table by unscrewing four pins--the machine itself is too complicated to break down other than removing the tray for the finished printed material. You'd need someone who is an Expert on this particular machine to do this AND be sure that the machine would still work... if one wanted to be sure that the machine WOULD still work, that is.
Maybe it's Sunblaze's paranoia, but the machine seems to sit there, smugly amused by the curious bard/wizard's scrutiny, and perversely not making a sound.
Sunblaze-I'm Watching You Watching Me! Sunday September 16th, 2001 2:21:08 PM
Sunblaze took a glance at the machine then watched the door they came from, debating slamming it with her quarterstaff or burning it with her magic. She ends up just staying at the door, ignoring it.
"Hey Trouble, how did you get into here in the beginning? You could have gotten us all in with you...What a wonderful plan that would have been." She smiles, yet only she knows it is there.
Bill Troublefinder Sunday September 16th, 2001 4:12:19 PM
Bill shrugs at Sunblaze's question. As he waits for one of those skilled with dealing with devices to undo the screws, he says, "Let's worry then, about disabling it later - just get it out of here fast. No time for fartin' around." Then he blushes at having used a slightly unsavory word. In any event, he keeps his attention focused on the double doors below him, his head close to the ceiling.
Rond Monday September 17th, 2001 1:02:11 AM
"Actually, it looks like this thing's too complicated to take apart quickly and expect it to work. But with Bill's sketches here, we can at least show how it was put together. I say we just manhandle the thing apart, and Arien hide the face part of it. Provided it can be taken apart."
The Tension Mounts (DM Donna) Monday September 17th, 2001 6:40:46 AM
Well, Rond has suggested that Arien takes the machine apart (at least partially.) It is pointed out that the machine can be unscrewed from the tabletop...and the "face part" of it can likely be removed from the machine, too. Even so, the machine will be a cumbersome device--at least twenty-five pounds or so--and it will not fit into a bag or backpack.
If Arien (or anyone else) does more than unscrew the machine from the tabletop, they must make an Intelligence check (since I doubt anyone has a Profession: Mechanical Engineer skill) with a -4 penalty.
Everyone please roll a Listen check, though--versus DC18.
Renik (Invisible) d20+4=22 Monday September 17th, 2001 9:04:21 AM
Standing near the door, Renik continues to listen for sounds of enemy movement. As the others discuss what to do with the machine, and set to work removing it from the table, he suspects he hears something. He hisses at the others "Shhh! I think I hear something!"
Bill Troublefinder d20+5=13 Monday September 17th, 2001 11:45:31 AM
Bill doesn't quite hear whatever it is that Renik, below him, hears. Maybe the canvas he holds helps absorb the sound. "Arien, Renik, Damocles, somebody take those four darn screws outta the pins, now! Then I'll cover it, and we haul it outta here, tout de suite. I can't float here all day," he urges in a stage whisper. Wrestling with the canvas, he pulls a wand out, ready to zap the machine with a levitate spell as soon as someone separates it from the table.
Arien d20=15 d20=18 Monday September 17th, 2001 12:48:16 PM
Arien goes to work on trying to remove the machine from the table and then further breaking it down. After working a moment he freezes as a slight noise reaches his ears. (First roll at -4 then +4 from Int modifier = 15; Listen roll = 18)
Draax d20+1=17 Monday September 17th, 2001 2:31:16 PM
Draax waits for the machine to be moved, he stops for a second, thinking that he heard something. He is not sure if he heard anything or if it was his imagination. He turns his attention back to the machine silently wishing that the procedure would speed up.
Sunblaze-Is That You Dave? d20+5=21 Monday September 17th, 2001 9:22:03 PM
Sunblaze watches the door and then her ears pick something up, and she motions for quiet, unaware of Renik's demand.(Listen: +5 [+1rank, +2wis, +2race]=21) Carefully and quietly Sunblaze climbs to the top of the door (Slippers of Spider Climb) and prepares to make a daring move, should anyone attempt to enter the door.
Did YOU Hear Something..? (DM Donna) Tuesday September 18th, 2001 6:49:31 AM
People freeze, straining to listen--those who made their Listen check think they hear voices approaching the door the party entered the room through, but the voices sound like they pass by. Soon silence reigns once more.
Once the danger is passed, Arien quickly unscrews the machine from the tabletop and manages to also unscrew the face frame from the machine as well--and makes an unpleasant discovery: the frame weighs at least twice as much as originally estimated... whatever metal and material it is made of is apparently a LOT more dense than the ranger originally estimated. (This means that the machine--sans the table--weighs at least FIFTY pounds, and not twenty-five.)
The machine is now able to be removed from the table.
Bill Troublefinder Tuesday September 18th, 2001 11:55:06 AM
Bill invokes the command word to release a levitate spell from his wand, focused on the scroll printing machine. He then drapes the canvas over the machine, and says, "Okay, let's wrap it underneath, and go, but turn right when we get out the devilish door. That's our way out. I'll let you big folk carry it - shouldn't be too heavy, now." The halfling is not yet aware of the noise.
Draax Tuesday September 18th, 2001 3:25:44 PM
After the device has been levitated and draped with the canvas, Draax helps wrap it from the bottom. "OK, I will carry it, so let's go. Who is leading the way?" Draax is ready to half push and half carry the device, he is only waiting for someone to head out and ensure that their way is clear.
Sunblaze- What? You're Leaving Already? d20+5=8 Tuesday September 18th, 2001 8:30:16 PM
Sunblaze hears the voices and her hands are released to cast a spell, but as they move away she stops and waits there and in a faint whisper she speaks.
"Quiet, nobody make a sound." She strains to catch if they left or if they are waiting outside the door for them (Listen: +5 [+1rank, +2wis, +2race]=8). She doesn't catch anything so she comes down, speaking, still quietly to the group. "It seems they are gone, although I can't tell. My hearing is going in my old age." She smiles, and then prepares to go, although she doesn't need a lot of stuff to do.
Arien Wednesday September 19th, 2001 2:25:01 AM
"I say we go out in the same order, with Bill and Renik in the lead. Draax should probably stay to the middle. In case we get stopped we might be able to bluff our way out but not if they see we are carrying this machine out from under their noses."
Rond Wednesday September 19th, 2001 2:30:22 AM
"Draax took time to get the guard's gear, so he'll need to be where he can talk to someone, if we happen to find someone. I think I'll push the device for now. Since Renik is still invisible. Why not Renik in front, and Bill behind. Renik should be able to get to us before someone else, since he's invisible. With Bill behind, he might be able to intercept, if he's going to stay in constume. He seems to have a knack for words," as Rond smiles at Bill.
Bill Troublefinder Wednesday September 19th, 2001 3:19:49 AM
"Who's gone?" Bill asks Sunblaze, a look of concern on his face. "You mean, someone was just in the next room? Hmm - spiderman," he says, looking about where he figures Renik to be, "- can you check to see which way they went? Back the way we came, or past the ugly door - down the route we're heading?"
"Thanks, Rond. But, I'm not in costume. Don't want to risk that, 'cause I might need to ... anyway, right now, I'm just me. But sure, I'll go right after spiderman, no prob - least ways, I *think* I'll be following him, if he is goin' the right way. Hey, I know, we'll be the repair crew. Yeah."
Renik (invisible) d20+4=18 d20+12=14 d20+2=5 d20+2=6 d20+12=30 Wednesday September 19th, 2001 6:23:12 AM
Renik nods, then realises how pointless that is. "No problem," he says, and he carefully follows the receding sound of the voices (listen 18, Move silent 14). If he catches up with the source of the talking without being rumbled, he will quickly check them out (Spot 5), try to figure if they are likely to head back towards the route the party plan to take (Sense Motive 6), then creep back to rejoin the others (Move Silent 30).
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