The hidden way - DM Marcin Tuesday May 11th, 2004 7:28:16 AM
Sarigar, done playing with his new toys, joins the somber group gathered around the body of their friend. The howls of him and his lupine friend resound in the empty halls of the academy. Gaxx sits on the cold floor, the head of the fallen hero on his lap, and pleads to Wardd for a miracle. It is said that Wardd answers every prayer uttered to him - but sometimes the answer is silence.
On the suggestion of Tratain Renik tries to use his special coin to contact the Spymasters of the Plateau City. He is, however, unable to reach anyone on the other side. Whether is it because the chaos caused by Marcus' death hasn't completely settled yet, because of someone's negligence, or for some other reason whatsoever there is no one on the other side able to pick up his message. The Hamleters are on their own.
It seems that all of the party agree to finish the business at hand before taking their chances with Gargul. Setanos is to be left behind. Renik and others start to look for a way to reach the door in the ceiling.
[The ceiling in this chamber is 20ft high.] [0:22]
Gaxx (ac 9, hp 44/62) d20+4=9 Tuesday May 11th, 2004 10:46:38 AM
Gaxx sighs sadly then slides out from under Setanos' head. He lightly pats Setanos on the cheek then rises to join the others in trying to figure out how to get up to the cieling.
Sarigar Tuesday May 11th, 2004 11:33:41 AM
Seeing everyone looking up at the ceiling, talking about getting up there, Sarigar slips his pack off his back and starts rummaging.
A hodgepodge of items begin to find their way only the floor until finally, Sarigar seems to be playing tug of war with his pack, pulling out a tangled mass of hempen rope. Think this can help? he says as he offers up the rope.
Renik d20+9=26 d20+10=16 Tuesday May 11th, 2004 11:35:48 AM
Renik stares at the coin with some concern when it fails to function. However there will be time later to consider the implications of this loss of contact with their spymasters. He puts it away.
"Well? Has anyone else got the ability to fly or shall I drop down a rope?" asks the rogue. "Any other suggestions?"
He floats gently up to the doorway and examines it carefully for signs of booby traps (Search 26) and listening to see if there are any signs of activity on the other side (Listen 16).
He waits for the thoughts of his companions before proceeding.
Feng AC 23, HP 34 Tuesday May 11th, 2004 4:53:14 PM
"I know that the machine needs to be destroyed but if we have any chance of success we must rest. Unless you believe the machine to be unguarded."
Draax AC25, HP89 Tuesday May 11th, 2004 9:58:39 PM
Draax hates leaving Setanos' body, but makes sure that he gathers Setanos' gear to be donated to his family or his church if no family members can be found.
"Lowering down Sarigar's rope is a good option. I cannot fly, but I can walk on the walls and ceiling if needed."
As he watches Renik check for traps Draax says, "I don't think we have time to rest for a significant length of time. We have beaten at least 4 of his lines of defense, possible as many as 6. I hope this guy is as stupid as I think he is, but if he has any bit of sense he will be using the machine or trying to move it. We need to get to him as soon as possible."
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 3d8(5+4+4)+9=22 Tuesday May 11th, 2004 11:20:26 PM
Tratain Heals Feng (Healed 22 Points) and waits for Renik to Drop the rope down to the party.
Tratain says "I don't think we have the time to wait another day, we have to find the machine now. I think we have defeated most if not all of the guards now. Arien, I think that if there are more guards it may fall to you to take them down as quickly as you can. The two recent battles have left us a little weary but We are still more than a match for whoever they could have left. At the end of the Day if we still haven't found the machine we should return to the city and see to Setanos. If we have to leave and rest the Machine will definetly be gone. I think we are either going to find it tonight or not at all."
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 Wednesday May 12th, 2004 8:04:11 AM
Arien nods as Tratain talks to him. Replying he says, "I'll do my best but most of my spells take up quite a bit of room so if possible everyone needs to stay away for first spell to soften any opposition up before moving in."
Gaxx (ac 17, hp 44/62) d20+4=17 Wednesday May 12th, 2004 9:57:43 AM
Gaxx waddles over to Feng. After seeing the trouble Feng had with lightning in the last fight, Gaxx figures Wardd would want to help protect him so after asking Wardd very nicely, Gaxx casts Protection From Energy (lightning) on the half-orc paladin.
(absorbs 72 pts, lasts 60 minutes)
The door - DM Marcin Wednesday May 12th, 2004 11:16:16 AM
Tratain heals Feng, and Gaxx imbues him with protection against electricity. The paladin suggests taking rest, but Draax opposes, arguing that the machine and its creator might well be gone if the party delays yet another few hours.
The wild man produces a rope from his backpack, but before Renik starts looking for anything to attach it to he decides to examine the door more closely.
The rogue's hands vanish in the illusion covering the ceiling and move along the cold, smooth surface of the round trapdoor. The door is large enough to accomodate, well, a beholder. Judging by its massive hinges it must be very heavy. It has been crafted from yet another unusual alloy. Its surface is black with just a hint of silver.
Renik's hands find two handles. It seems that the round door is supposed to split in half and each side swings downwards. There is no obvious lock or keyhole. No traps are detected and nothing can be heard through the thick slab of metal.
The Hamleters watch in silence as Renik looks for means to open the way.
Then, sounding almost out of place in these dead halls, there is a noise of footsteps coming from the corridor that used to be sealed off by the wall of force. [0:23]
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) d20+28=33 d20+23=37 Wednesday May 12th, 2004 11:56:08 AM
Hearing the footsteps coming, Sarigar ducks into one of the other "spokes" of the room and hides in an attempt to ambush whoeve is coming (Hide 33, Move Silently 37).
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts) Wednesday May 12th, 2004 7:05:21 PM
Feng grips his axe tightly. He's imagining a deadly swordsman or an archwizard that will smite them to ash. Whatever is coming it can't be good.
"Ah crap. Now what?"
ooc: prot. from lightning 1 of 60
Draax AC25, HP89 Wednesday May 12th, 2004 9:34:33 PM
Draax watches Renik until he hears the footsteps. He takes a second to stretch and crack his knuckles before getting himself back into battle mode. Just as he believes that he has reached an emotionless state; he barely keeps himself from laughing when he hears the uncharacteristic remark coming from Feng.
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 Wednesday May 12th, 2004 11:59:21 PM
Tratain moves off to the side of the room and waits for whoever is comming to get closer.
OOC How much time has passed since the end of the battle. My Spell Immunity lasts for an hour and a half, is there still more time on it?
A familiar face - DM Marcin Thursday May 13th, 2004 3:59:37 AM
The steps draw closer and become slower and slower, as if the walker was hesitating. Finally, a lone, small figure emerges from the gloom of the corridor. It is a dwarf, seemingly the same dwarf that the party has seen assisting in the ceremony on the dock. This time, instead of a robe, he is wearing an unremarkable, gray shirt and a dirty apron. In one hand he is carrying a serviceable broom, in the other a bucket. His moves are slow and uncoordinated, his gaze is unfocused; indeed, it seems almost as if he was sleepwalking. He stumbles over the body in the red robe, looks down, and the utensils fall out of his hands. The bucket spills its contents on the floor. A shocked expression appears on his face.
[Folks, my next three posts will show up around 2pm US time.] [24 minutes have passed since the party has entered the complex, so the Spell Immunity is still active.] [0:24]
Renik Thursday May 13th, 2004 8:04:40 AM
The rogue swoops down the cooridor, attempting to fly over the dwarf's head and block off his escape route.
"Stand where you are and you will not be harmed!"
Gaxx (ac 5, hp 44/62) d20+4=5 Thursday May 13th, 2004 8:24:34 AM
A dwarf!
Gaxx immediately waddles over to the new dwarf, with his hand held up in greeting. "Hi dere! I be Gaxx OgreSlayer. We need ta git up ta da door in da cieling. Can you hep us?"
A Dwarf Thursday May 13th, 2004 10:40:02 AM
The dwarf looks with shock as the flying man moves over head and shouts at him. Seeing the other dwarf approaching him, he shouts 'Ahh' and turns to run, tripping over himself trying to get away. Not bothering to stand, he crawls away from the group as quickly as possible, clearly trembling.
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Thursday May 13th, 2004 1:41:13 PM
Sarigar quickly moves to block off the new dwarf's "retreat", crouching down to get closer to his present eye level and just grins at him. He holds his hand out in a stop gesture, just inches from his forehead, then shakes his head. Uh uh, you stay here.
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 Thursday May 13th, 2004 2:59:18 PM
Arien arches an eyebrow as the dwarf runs away from Renik. Staying back Arien watches what unfolds with some amusement.
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts) Thursday May 13th, 2004 3:18:05 PM
Feng sighs and relaxes a little. The dwarf could be trouble even though he looks harmless.
"Please calm yourself. We mean you no harm."
ooc: prot. from lightning 2 of 60
Draax AC25, HP89 Thursday May 13th, 2004 9:24:57 PM
Just as Draax recognizes the dwarf's resemblance to the dwarf on the docks the newcomer attempts to run away in fear. Draax stays alert as he waits to see what the dwarf will do now that his exit has been blocked.
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt) Thursday May 13th, 2004 11:01:42 PM
Tratain Moves up to the Dwarf to make sure that he can't get away and says "Where Is the Machine"
Questions - DM Marcin Friday May 14th, 2004 1:26:57 PM
The party surrounds the pitiful figure on the floor. Some of the Hamleters stay back, having assumed that the dwarf poses no threat. Others ask questions in a more or less threatening manner.
How strange is this place and what other surprises it may yet spring on the party!...
[Feel free to post multiple times over the weekend if needed.][0:25]
Renik Friday May 14th, 2004 6:39:39 PM
"What part of stand where you are did you not understand?" growls the rogue, blades held loosely at his sides. He looks down at the dwarf with a mixture of pity and contempt.
"So, you're a lackey of the Sons of Dread, are you? A paid retainer? Or are you just another wizard intent on gaining power at the expense of innocent souls? Speak fast, dwarf, we have little time to spare."
He turns to the half-orc paladin and says "What do you think, Feng? Is he as evil as all the rest?"
Tratain Friday May 14th, 2004 11:42:15 PM
Tratain says "If I remember correctly, this dwarf seemed to be one of those incharge down below. I'll bet he's being punished for failing to kill us. He looks kind of off, not as combative as he was before."
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Saturday May 15th, 2004 4:36:53 PM
Swaying slightly to and fro before the dwarf, Sarigar stares right at his eyes. Although he doesn't move his feet, it feels like he's pacing, awaiting the moment his prey makes a mistake and he can pounce.
Any attempt the dwarf makes to move past him will be met with a solid shove back toward the others.
Draax AC25, HP89 Sunday May 16th, 2004 10:20:32 AM
Draax waits to see if the dwarf answers Gaxx's or Renik's questions.
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 Sunday May 16th, 2004 11:08:34 AM
Arien watches as the others surround the dwarf and fire questions off at him. Arien doesn't think that the dwarf itself is any danger but wary of an ambush or something similar Arien keeps an eye out to make sure nothing is sneaking up on them while the others are occupied with the dwarf.
A Dwarf Monday May 17th, 2004 2:14:55 PM
"Machine? Sons of dread? Wizard?..." The mumbling of the figure on the floor is interrupted when he catches sight of Sarigar. Then he just stares at him, unable to break off eye contact, like a rabbit staring at cobra.
We want some answers! - DM Marcin Monday May 17th, 2004 2:21:55 PM
The dwarf, surrounded by the party and facing a rapid barrage of questions, doesn't seem to be very responsive. In fact, it seems as if his touch with reality was a bit off. Bullied into a corner he crouches under the wall, trying to take as little space as possible.
Yet another minute of precious time passes. [0:25]
Renik d20+4=9 Monday May 17th, 2004 5:10:07 PM
"Feng? What do you think?" asks the rogue. Frustrated at the lack of response and deeply suspicious of the dwarf he says "We don't have any time to waste on him. That machine could be getting moved out of here as we speak. Tratain, Draax, keep an eye on him. He tries to run or call for help please feel free to slit his throat for him.
"Right, let's get back to the job at hand. Circle out in the round chamber, and try to keep to the edges of the room. If there is anything in there we don't want to provide it with an easy target."
He heads back to the hidden doorway in the ceiling, and once his companions are positioned strategically around the perimiter of the circular chamber he attempts to open the door, moving back out from directly underneath it as swiftly as he can if his tug succeeds (Str 9).
Feng Monday May 17th, 2004 7:16:10 PM
"I'm not sure what to make of the dwarf. Perhaps the wizards used this one as a test subject. Maybe something similar to what happened to you." Feng says to Renik. Just to be sure Feng tries to determine if the dwarf is evil.
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt) d20+5=9 Monday May 17th, 2004 10:31:38 PM
Tratain stays with the Dwarf, Trying to look non-threatening but ready to strike the dwarf with his Warhanner should he attempt to do anything Malicious.
Tratain says to the dwarf "How did you get here, how long have you been here, where is the Machine the Sons of Dread are hiding in this complex. Tell me what you remember."
Draax Monday May 17th, 2004 10:55:33 PM
Draax remains quiet, but moves closer to the dwarf and keeps his eyes on him.
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 Tuesday May 18th, 2004 2:22:31 AM
Arien waits for the dwarf to answer and after it continues to cower he grows impatient. "Just tie up the dwarf or something, every moment that passes allows our enemy to prepare that much more. We need to keep going."
Gaxx (ac 13, hp 44/62) d20+4=13 Tuesday May 18th, 2004 10:12:48 AM
Gaxx waddles up to the dwarf and grabs him by the arm. "Come, you stand. Nobody hurt you. Why you so scared? We here to save you! You so lucky! Mister Wardd, he got his eye on you, boyo. Now you stand proud for Mister Wardd!"
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) d20+13=26 Tuesday May 18th, 2004 11:46:17 AM
Sarigar keeps staring, waiting, listening (Listen 26).
He crouches down at the archway of the "spoke" in which he's standing in front.
The door yields - DM Marcin Tuesday May 18th, 2004 1:01:54 PM
The dwarf, pulled up by Gaxx and questioned by Tratain, seems to finally be able to gather his senses. "There was a road, and men ambushed me and my son, and -"
His eyes open wide.
"There was... were... men, and others, too. Monsters... The eye thing-" <gulp>
"What machine?"
He looks around nervously.
"Who in the name of Ffloy are YOU?"
Feng concentrates his powers on the dwarf. He does not sense any evil.
Renik pulls the handles. It turns out that very little strength is needed to open the passage. The trapdoor splits in two, and both halves start to slowly swing down on their own. A narrow, steep stairway of white stone soundlessly slides down from the ceiling until it touches the flagstones of the round chamber. The illusion that used to cover the entrance fades away. The party feels a breeze of fresh air on their faces - a welcome change from the dank air of the dungeon and its reek of death.
A magic mouth activates on the ceiling and a female voice cries out: "Glory be to the almighty Dread, the one who shows us the patch to greatness and immortality! May every head bow before his might! Praised be Master Lemmar, his most powerful servant!"
When the heroes look up they can see that the top of the stairway ends in a wide corridor. It looks like a natural passage leading off in the direction of the sea. No light is coming from the newly revealed way. [0:26]
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts) Tuesday May 18th, 2004 6:06:35 PM
Feng grips his axe tightly in both hands and heads over to the passage. He wants to head up first but isn't rude enough to push his way past so he waits behind Renik.
"The dwarf is good." He says to all.
ooc: prot from lightning 4 0f 60
Renik Tuesday May 18th, 2004 7:04:38 PM
Renik looks rather sceptical at Feng's news; he doesn't trust this dwarf as far as he could toss him, and the scowl on his face leaves the dwarf in no doubt about that fact. But there is no time now to worry about that now.
"A pox on your filthy Dread!" growls Renik, floating up through the aperture, keeping to the roof of the corridor, allowing Feng to head up the party.
"Let's move swiftly my friends" he says softly.
Draax AC25, HP89 Tuesday May 18th, 2004 8:45:29 PM
Draax watches as the dwarf suddenly comes to his senses. He has seen mind control before, but anything connected to the SoDs cannot be trusted. While looking at the stairs descend he catches something that the dwarf says. He asks the dwarf a question before following the others. "You, your son, and who else got catch in this ambush and what happened to your son?"
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt) Tuesday May 18th, 2004 10:06:43 PM
Tratain says "Should we Take the dwarf with us or leave him here, I'm not really comfortable with either option. I don't think it would be a good idea to split up now."
Gaxx (ac 11, hp 44/62) d20+4=11 Wednesday May 19th, 2004 10:03:14 AM
Gaxx firmly takes hold of the dwarf's arm and with a glare towards the others, leads the dwarf towards the tunnel the party had entered through. To the others, Gaxx states "Dwarf go out and wait. We bring back son, both go home." Gaxx waits until the others ask their questions and the dwarf answers, then points down the tunnel. "You go dat way, turn left, climb stairs and wait outside til we bring son to you. Now go! Go!" Gaxx makes shooing motions towards the dwarf. He turns back to the others, with an expression that dares anyone to argue with what he has done.
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) d20+28=31 d20+23=31 Wednesday May 19th, 2004 11:03:39 AM
Sarigar bounds up the stairs with Black Paws quick at his heels. As he's been the scout for the group for a bit, he attempts to wriggle past Feng and "take point" for scouting.
Whether Feng lets him by or not, he slips quietly into the shadows (Hide 31, Move Silently 31) and prowls along.
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 Wednesday May 19th, 2004 2:18:40 PM
Arien waits for a few of the group to head up the stairs before climbing them himself. Once at the top he takes a quick look around before moving out of the way to let the rest of the group up the stairs.
Up the stairs - DM Marcin Wednesday May 19th, 2004 3:16:24 PM
Draax questions the dwarf further. The prisoner scratches his head.
"There were just three of us: me, my son, and my good friend Brandon. My son perished in the ambush while trying to defend our goods, and you killed Brandon yesterday on the dock."
"But there were others like us, too. Some came earlier, some came later." He narrows his eyes and points in recollection at Renik. "They tried to make you one of us, but you resisted, so they instead took you away for... experiments? This is all so foggy."
When Gaxx sends him on his way the dwarf sighs and, before heading off in the indicated direction, says: "Aye, lad, waiting for you I will be, but unless you dare to face Gargul himself you won't be bringing my son back."
The party heads up. There is clanking of armor and heavy footsteps as the Hamleters one by one ascend the stairs.
The party stands in the darkness and silence of the round corridor. The air is much better up here; a gust of wind blowing through the passage suggests that this part of the dungeon has been fitted with skillfully crafted ventilation shafts. Every noise is multiplied by the echoes and sent deeper into the cavern.
The careful advance resumes, with Sarigar and Feng leading the way, followed by Renik. Arien brings up the rear.
The corridor continues for about thirty steps or so and reaches what appears to be a dead end, but before the party has time to ponder what to do next there is a noise of stone moving over stone and a round slab rolls to the side all by itself, revealing the room behind. The heroes' eyes are hit with pulsating light that seems to cyclically alter between pearly white, red, and green. There is a faint, continuous humming sound.
The room on the other side of the door appears to be a natural cavern. Stalactites hang from its ceiling, but its floor has been smoothened up. It is quite wide on the side with the door, but its walls narrow down on the other end. A single, dark passage continues into the distance.
The most prominent and only feature of this chamber is an eight foot tall crystal sculpture. It stands on a metal base right in the middle of the room. It appears to be the source of light. A flash of recollection strikes Renik - this is where he was being held!
No fine details can be seen from the distance, but it can be noticed that there is something written on the base. The statue itself appears to be quite ornate. It depicts a man with his arms outstretched and eyes closed like one who turns his face to the sun for warmth, but somehow one gets the feeling that it is not the sun's light that this man basks in. Both beauty and malice radiate from this work of art intermingled in a disturbing way; it must have been a skilled artist indeed whose hands crafted the statue.
[www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:28]
Renik d20+10=21 d20+10=15 Wednesday May 19th, 2004 7:07:27 PM
"That's it, that's the machine..." whispers the rogue, as memories of his ordeal come flooding back.
"Fan out around the edge of the chamber, don't present a single target" the rogue hisses, his every sense alert to danger (Listen 21, Spot 15). He floats silently into the room, hugging the wall and ceiling (Move to J12), his twin blades at the ready.
Draax AC25, HP89 Thursday May 20th, 2004 7:27:24 AM
Draax moves and positions himself at I10.
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts) Thursday May 20th, 2004 9:54:27 AM
Feng walks forward and stops before the statue. The evil from the statue hurts him especially. He will prevail, good will prevail. (moves to k-8)
ooc: prot from lighting 5 of 6
Gaxx (ac 12, hp 44/62) d20+4=12 Thursday May 20th, 2004 10:16:44 AM
Gaxx moves up to E6 behind Feng and casts Aid on him.
(I left my books at a friend's. Could someone look up the spell for the duration, Gaxx casts as a 6th lvl cleric}
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) d20+28=46 d20+23=27 d20+13=15 Thursday May 20th, 2004 12:47:09 PM
Sarigar slips into the room as quietly as possible (Hide 46, Move Silently 27, to I4). He motions for Black Paws to heel (Animal Handling 15).
All is calm, all is bright - DM Marcin Thursday May 20th, 2004 12:49:40 PM
Renik sneaks into the room, his swords ready. He does not notice any enemies. He does however hear some noises coming from the narrow corridor that leads out of the room. It sounds like the waves of the sea.
Draax, Feng, and Sarigar follow his lead. The paladin approaches the statue. The light from the flowing crystal hurts his eyes. He does not even have to concentrate to sense that this chamber has seen many evil deeds. It is as if the air itself was heavy with hate, rage, cruelty, and pain.
Gaxx moves up next to the paladin and imbues him with the power of his patron [Aid lasts 6 minutes].
All that can be heard is the monotonous humming noise. The light coming from the staue falls on the faces of the Hamleters making them in turn deadly pale, bloody red, and sickeningly green. Those sensitive to the flow of magic feel a tingling sensation on their tongues.
No obvious threat presents itself.
[www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:28.2]
Renik Thursday May 20th, 2004 5:33:48 PM
"Any suggestions as to how to destroy this thing?" asks the rogue. "I'd rather we destroy it before moving on, but I suspect if Feng belts it with his axe we'll find ourselves in a heap of trouble. Isn't crystal supposed toi be vulnerable to sonic attack? Or does anyone have a spell that might shatter crystal?"
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts, Aid) Thursday May 20th, 2004 9:07:23 PM
"I doubt smashing it will work. I'm sure it was enchanted against all forms of damage. I'm not sure how to destroy it."
ooc: Prot from Lightning 6 of 60 Aid 1 of (6?)
Draax AC25, HP89 Thursday May 20th, 2004 10:04:27 PM
Draax looks at the statue with no idea what to do. "How does this machine work? It is different from the last one we took from the dread. If we cannot destroy it at this moment, maybe we can plug it or disable it for the time being. At least until we can have it moved out of here. Too bad we cannot send it to another dimension like the other one."
Tratain AC 24 HP 59 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt) Thursday May 20th, 2004 10:49:15 PM
Tratain Moves towords the Statue in the middle of the room readying his Warhammer and Shield.
He says "You all might want to back up. Theres only one way to find out if we can destroy the machine or not. I'm going to try and smash it with my warhammer and if something goes wrong I'd rather everyone be away from the machine."
Smashing the statue? - DM Marcin Friday May 21st, 2004 11:36:10 AM
In hushed voices the heroes discuss their options. Some doubt that the statue is vulnerable to physical damage. Tratain, who is of other opinion, walks up to the monument and readies his warhammer.
About half of a minute passes. Aside from the humming sound nothing else can be heard.
The mysterious mastermind behind the works of the academy remains out of sight.
[My next post will be early on Monday. You can post multiple times over the weekend if it helps you to agree on a strategy.] [www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:28.5]
Draax AC25, HP89 Saturday May 22nd, 2004 10:14:31 AM
Draax moves out of the immediate area (I13) with a little doubt displayed on his face. "I do not know if smashing it will help. The last one we banished was an artifact and they are not so easily destroyed. I think Renik should look it over for traps and other surprises before anyone actually touches the thing. Or if someone has a spell that can detect traps they should use it. I just do not see them leaving this thing totally unguarded."
Draax looks over at the others, "What do you guys think?"
Renik d20+9=16 d20+11=14 d20+11=27 Sunday May 23rd, 2004 5:29:56 PM
"I agree my friend, caution is to be advised. If no-one has any better suggestions than clobbering it, at least I can examine it for potential traps first."
The rogue gives the statue a careful examination (Search 16), then steps back to announce his findings.
"Well, one thing is for certain. No action is not an option. If no-one can give me a better alternative we'll just have to try it the old fashioned way." He gives Tratin a nod, moving away to what he hopes is a safe distance (R9). He adopts a position that will hopefully give him early warning of any approaching danger.
(Spot 14, Listen 27).
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) Sunday May 23rd, 2004 10:17:32 PM
Tratain says "Renik, try the coin one more time before I try and smash the statue. Ask the priestess if there is some way for her to get us and the statue. It may take some strong magic to destroy the statue beyond the ability of anyone to fix it. If we have to resort to breaking it and it work we should try and spread the pieces as far as we can through the wold."
Tratain then casts Endurence on Himself and tells the rest of the group to stand back if the priestess can not be contacted.
Draax AC25, HP89 Sunday May 23rd, 2004 11:04:09 PM
Draax nods his head a Tratain's suggestion about the coin. "Sounds good to me."
If/when Tratian hit the statue, Draax will take a knee and hide behind his shield just to be on the safe side.
And the hell breaks loose! - DM Marcin d20+3=19 [secret roll] Monday May 24th, 2004 2:16:30 AM
Tratain casts Endurance, further bolstering the toughness of his already powerful body. Then he suggests to try the coin again.
Draax moves as far away from the statue as possible and suggests that the thing should be searched for traps before any attempt is made to destroy it.
Renik is happy to oblige. The rogue approaches the glowing crystal figure and starts to carefully examine the object.
As his hands move over its surface he feels unnatural chill enter his body through his fingers - a familiar, unpleasant sensation. Yet this time around there are no ill effects, just as if the evil force that was at work here just yesterday was now dormant.
The surface of the statue feels as smooth as the finest silk. No sculptor could have achieved this effect without the aid of magic. The statue has been carved out of a single piece of crystal. Renik finds no traps on it, no hidden switches, in fact, no moving pieces at all! The light flows inside the sculpture; for a moment it seems as if it originated from the man's heart, but then it shifts to his right hand, and to his eyes, an then to his torso, and then the chaotic cycle continues.
Once he is done with the statue itself Renik searches the base it stands on. It is made of cold, black metal. Its surface seems to absorb light. When Renik gets down to examining the inscription on it the runes instantly brighten up with red light! With a barely audible "fooom" a wave of magic passes over the heroes gathered in the room! The Hamleters feel some force trying to drain away their energy and will to act! [Everyone please make a Will save DC25. If the save fails you fall asleep. Renik is unaffected and so is anyone immune to magical sleep.]
The mouth of the statue opens and a shout echoes through the cavern, a shout so loud that it leaves ringing in the heroes' ears:
"INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS!"
The shouting continues on and on.
[www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:29.5]
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts, Aid) d20+8=23 Monday May 24th, 2004 3:05:05 AM
Feng turns looking for intruders and collapses onto the floor. It's not long before he's snoring away.
ooc: will save 23
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) d20+4=17 d20+4=10 Monday May 24th, 2004 2:57:11 PM
As the magical wave passes over him, Sarigar passes out, flopping onto the floor like a wet rag.
Black Paws suffers the ill effects of the wave as well and crumples to the floor.
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 d20+10=23 d20+10=23 d20+10=30 d20+10=25 d20+10=27 d20+10=13 Monday May 24th, 2004 5:08:29 PM
Arien watches as several of the party members fall into a magical slumber. Unaffected at all by the spell thanks to his elven nature Arien does what he can to bring back his sleeping allies. Reaching into his pack he summons a scroll of dispel magic and, targeting the sleep spell, Arien uses the scroll.
(Caster check for the dispel, Sargiar & Blackpaws both: 23, Feng 30, and the last three; 25, 27, and 13 are incase anyone fails the saving throw)
Renik d20+11=27 Monday May 24th, 2004 6:28:09 PM
As the statue begins to bellow and a familiar wave of exhaustion rolls over him, the rogue turns back in time to see his companions overcome by the spell effects. "By Gargul's goatee, I like this not" mutters the rogue as events begin to spiral out of control.
"Anyone left standing with me!" cries the rogue, sprinting towards the tunnel entrance. "Either side of the entrance! If anyone comes down that passage the warriors must hold them at the tunnel mouth! If we hold them in a bottleneck we can double up on anyone that tries to get through!"
He takes up a position to one side of the entrance, blades ready, keeping an ear out for approaching footsteps (Listen 27, move to Q7), indicating where the enemy should be held (R8-R9).
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+14=16 Monday May 24th, 2004 6:29:47 PM
While waiting for the others to move away from the statue Tratain suddenly feels very drowsy and crashes to the floor fast asleep.
Draax AC25, HP89 Monday May 24th, 2004 10:53:19 PM
Draax stops himself from yearning and wonders why he felt tired for a moment just as he notices his teammates hit the floor. He stares for a second before Renik brings him back to reality. He runs over my the entrance (Q9) and takes up a defensive position.
Gaxx d20+11=26 Tuesday May 25th, 2004 2:21:34 AM
Gaxx feels drowsy for a moment, but he shakes off the senstation. Seeing others collapse in sleep the dwarf waddles over to them and starts to shake them trying to wake them up.
"Get up, sleepyheads! Bad time to rest!"
Sometimes restful sleep is a bad thing - DM Marcin d20+3=16 [secret roll] Tuesday May 25th, 2004 3:07:32 AM
"INTRUDERS!..."
The nasty trap manages to affect almost half of the party! Feng and Tratain suddenly find their armors unbearably heavy, forcing them first to sit down, and then to lay on the ground. They are soon asleep. Sarigar is brought down by the spell, too, and soon joins them in slumber. His faithful companion curls up next to him and falls asleep in an instant.
Gaxx, who managed to stay awake, tries to wake up the sleeping heroes by shaking their shoulders and shouting, but to no effect. It seems that mundane means won't be enough to break this spell.
Renik and Draax react to any potential danger by moving up to the far end of the chamber. Looking deeper into the corridor they see that it quickly opens up into an even larger cave. But that cavern is dark, so it is not possible to tell what lurks inside. Renik strains his ears. All he hears is a gentle sound of waves coming from the darkness. Draax feels a faint draft. The air starts to smell of salt and sea. There is a hint of something else, too. Could it be a stench of an animal?
The red symbol on the base of the statue continues to glow. The figure continues to shout out its warning.
"INTRUDERS!..."
Arien fetches a scroll of Dispel Magic from his backpack and prepares to use it. [Adam, we will keep the dispel checks you rolled, but you still need to make a caster level check to see if you managed to activate the scroll, as it has been made above your caster level. Do I understand it right that it is your intention to cast an area dispel targeted at the rune on the statue?]
[www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:29.6]
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 d20+9=27 Tuesday May 25th, 2004 12:13:19 PM
Arien, his scroll used drops the parchement, and hearing Renik yell runs into the room to better asses the situation and to see if any of the sleepers have woken up.
((Caster level check 27, I wasn't exactly sure how to handle this one as I haven't done this before but in the book it says you can do a targeted dispel at one specific spell, in which case it'd be the sleep spell, I rolled for each subject since I know when doing a targeted dispel on a person you roll for each spell. I wasn't sure in this case but I rolled just to cover my bases here, whichever way is easier for you to resolve is fine with me though.))
Renik d20+11=27 d20+11=17 d20+21=41 Tuesday May 25th, 2004 5:31:43 PM
Keeping a close watch on the tunnel entrance the rogue sees Arien and Gaxx attempting to revive the others.
"Gaxx!" he calls back, "No time for subtlety now! See if you can smash that statue into silence! If you manage to wake anyone post someone on that other tunnel entrance! We don't need more of these goons catching us from behind!"
He floats up above the tunnel entrance, close enough to attack anyone coming through but high enough to use the rocky ceiling as cover (Hide 41, move to Q8 above the tunnel, cover +4 to AC, readied action 5' step and attack should anyone come into range)
(Listen 27 Spot 17)
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts, Aid Tuesday May 25th, 2004 7:09:27 PM
As Feng sleeps he dreams of heoric deeds and beautiful women.
OOC: prot from lightning 8 of 60 aid 3 of 6?
Draax AC21/25, HP89 Tuesday May 25th, 2004 9:14:42 PM
When he feels the draft and smells the sea, Draax wonders where the pathway leads to. As he catches the faint scents of an animal he has no idea if it is just his imagination or something real, but he decides to trust in his senses.
"I have a feeling that company is on its way. I think I can smell sometime of animal. If you guys cannot find any way to wake them I suggest you use a little pain because I think we are going to need them soon."
Draax readied his bow and aim an arrow down the pathway.
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) Tuesday May 25th, 2004 11:20:10 PM
Tratain still sleeps under the effect of the statues magic.
Gaxx Wednesday May 26th, 2004 7:39:03 AM
Hearing the cry of Renik, the dwarf leaves the sleeping ones be and climbs on the base of the statue. Heaving his club with all his strength he strikes at the head of the crystal mage.
A wake-up call - DM Marcin d20+3=12 [secret roll] Wednesday May 26th, 2004 8:06:31 AM
Arien releases the magic of the scroll, leaving behind an empty page of parchment. As he runs into the room he sees that Feng and Tratain start to move - the spell on them has been broken! Unfortunately, Sarigar and his wolf are still under the effects of slumber.
"INTR-" The warning cries are cut in a mid word as the magic that powered them is dispelled. The insidious rune, however, continues to glow.
[Dispel Magic - area variant. Feng and Tratain wake up. Sarigar and BP are still under effects of the sleep spell.]
Renik floats closer to the ceiling and conceals himself among the stalactites. Below him Draax, arrow notched, scans the darkness of the corridor for targets.
Gaxx, obedient to Renik's command, walks up to the statue, slings his club off his shoulder, steps up on the base of the figure, and hits the head of the mage with all his strength.
There is a sound as if of shattering crystal goblet. The head of the figure snaps off the body, hits the floor, and rolls away until it stops under one of the walls. The neck of the sculpture is now a chaos of razor sharp slivers of crystal. The light starts to escape from the worked crystal through the mess of tiny, irregular cracks. It almost looks as if the beheaded mage was bleeding light. The room starts to get progressively dimmer.
No foes arrive to defend the inner sanctum of the academy. The darkness ahead of and behind the party still waits to reveal its secrets.
[www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:29.7]
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Wednesday May 26th, 2004 12:23:57 PM
ZZZZ ZZZz ZZzz Zzzz zzzz
Renik d20+11=14 d20+11=20 d20+21=31 Wednesday May 26th, 2004 4:51:43 PM
"Well at least that's quieter" murmers the rogue, looking with some conternation at the light flowing out of the statue. Have they released innocent souls trapped by the Sons of Dread, or life essence of tortured victims? He fervently hopes this is the case, and that they have not released some more sinister force.
He continues to wait as the others begin to wake, gesturing for someone to cover the other entrance. In the sudden silence and gathering gloom he attempts once again to detect any signs of impending attack (Listen 14 Spot 20, Hide 31).
Draax AC21/25, HP89 Wednesday May 26th, 2004 10:44:14 PM
Draax keeps an arrow notched in his bow and continues to aim it down the path looking for any movement. He feels a little better when he hears some of the others begin to recover. He stops himself from turning around when he hears Gaxx hit the statue and waits to see if anything else happens.
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+9=17 Wednesday May 26th, 2004 11:36:18 PM
Tratain begins to come around, and quickly stands up wonder what he was doing laying down on the floor.
He says "What happened?"
Tratain see's the broken statue and looks around for the head (Spot 17) and moves toword it, planning on putting it in his pack when he gets a chance.
OOC: Not sure how far away the Head of the statue is. Tratain is heading towords it with the intent to pick it up and put it in his pack. Don't know if I can do it all this round
Gaxx Thursday May 27th, 2004 2:36:57 AM
The dwarf steps down from the base of the beheaded statue. Hearing the command of Renik he moves back to the entrance tunnel.
"All right, I will watch our backs."
Gaxx positions himself behind one of the corners so that only his head stick out into the passage. Then he quietly and very politely asks Mister Wardd if he wouldn't possibly like to wake up his friend Sarigar and his wolf.
The light is waning - DM Marcin 3d6(6+2+2)=10 3d6(3+5+6)=14 [secret rolls] Thursday May 27th, 2004 2:57:40 AM
Sarigar and Black Paws are still fast asleep.
Renik and Draax watch for any signs of an incoming attack, but they find no indications that a threat is imminent.
Gaxx walks over to the other entrance to the room and stands watch. He too doesn't have anything to report.
Tratain, having recovered from the slumber, looks for the head of the statue and finds it near the northern wall of the room. He walks over to it and picks it up. It is larger than a head of a normal human and quite heavy. Sharp slivers of crystal protrude from the broken neck. It seems to be a good idea to wrap it in something before putting it in a backpack or else the razor-sharp shards might tear a hole in it.
A moment passes and nothing much happens. As the light slowly escapes the statue the chamber is getting progressively darker and darker. Right now the room is dim and filled with shadows [concealment due to darkness]. The sculpture seeps dark red light, making the analogy to loosing blood all that more appropriate. It seems that in a minute or so all light will be gone.
After a moment a question rises: was the advance of the party undetected, or is the enemy just hiding in darkness, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike? Whatever is the answer to this question it seems that the next move belongs to the Hamleters.
[You can submit actions that last longer than a round.] [www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:30]
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Thursday May 27th, 2004 12:37:39 PM
Sarigar rolls over and tucks up against Black Paws, almost using him as a pillow.
Feng AC 23, HP 56 (protection from lightning 72pts, Aid Thursday May 27th, 2004 3:52:34 PM
Feng blinks several times as he is woken by the spell. He struggles to climb to his feet and fights off the lingering effects of the sleep spell.
"What happene?" Feng asked as he looked around. He sees Sarigar asleep and notices the statue is beheaded.
"It's a rare thing when they don't throw hordes of enemies at us. Shall I take point since I can see fine in the darkness?"
OOC: prot from lightning 10 of 60 Aid 5 of 6
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) Thursday May 27th, 2004 11:25:25 PM
Tratain pulls out his goggles of night and puts them on so he can see in the growing darkness.
He then reaches into his Haversack and pulls out a Bedroll and a Winter Blanket and bundles up the head of the statue and places it in his Haversack if it is not to heavy. If it is to heavy Tratain hands the head to Feng and asks him to put it in his bag of holding.
Tratain says "Stand Back from the statue, Its partly Broken now, I'm going to finish the Job and break it into smaller pieces."
When the party has moved away from the statue Tratain smashes the statue into smaller pieces.
Draax AC21/25, HP89 Friday May 28th, 2004 1:21:05 AM
Since the enemies has not shown their face, Draax take a moment to survey what happened with the statue. As he spot Sarigar and Black Paws still lying on the floor asleep. "I guess they want us to come to them, but we can't go anywhere until we can find a way to get those two back on their feet."
Draax turn his attention back to the entrance determined to not let himself get suckered into a false sense of security.
Smashing the statue - DM Marcin d20+3=4 d20+3=12 d20+3=16 d20+3=8 d20+3=21 [secret rolls] Friday May 28th, 2004 2:37:02 AM
Feng wakes up. Draax, not moving from his guard post, suggests that Sarigar and Black Paws should be revived before the party moves on.
Tratain, after securing the head and storing it in his backpack, puts on his goggles and readies to smash the statue into tiny bits. As he approaches the statue and checks the grip on his warhammer the remaining light finally escapes its crystal prison. The chamber is now completely shrouded in darkness - the glowing red rune does not illuminate anything but itself.
Tratain's warhammer descends on the crystal sculpture. Crash! There is a sound as if of breaking glass again and the mage loses his right hand. Tratain contiunes his steady work of destruction for about two minutes. After twenty blows or so he steps back and admires his handiwork. The figure has been reduced into a pile of irregular shards of crystal that are now scattered all over the metal base. It would be now hard to tell for a casual onlooker what the figure used to depict.
[Listen checks everyone. If you beat DC30 please read the message below.] Highlight to display spoiler: {The wind coming from the unexplored passage carries a single voice speaking firmly some uncomprehensible words. Sounds like spellcasting.} [0:34]
Renik Friday May 28th, 2004 2:45:18 AM
Looking back and seeing Sarigar still asleep, the rogue frowns. "Fair point, Draax. We need to get Sarigar awake. Arien, is there anything you can do?"
In the growing darkness Renik reaches into his pack and retrieves a sunrod. Activating it he wraps it in a small sack to hide most of the light it emits, but leaves enough showing to provide enough light to see by.
(OOC: Wow! early post, DM! Please consider this post prior to DM post.)
Arien (Mage Armor, AC 21) HP: 41 d20+9=21 d20+10=28 d20+10=28 d20+10=26 Friday May 28th, 2004 4:18:49 AM
There is though I didn't really want to use this now Arien says as he reluctantly removes his second dispel magic scroll from his pack. "Lets see if it works this time." Arien says before using the scroll. Busy casting the spell Arien doesn't notice any noise.
(Dispel Magic, same as before, caster check = 21; Dispel Checks, Sarigar = 28, Black Paws =28, Glowing Rune = 26)
Renik d20+11=21 Friday May 28th, 2004 11:37:33 AM
Renik watches as Arien works to revive Sarigar, the soft glow from the sunrod illuminating his face from below and casting sinister shadows across the cavern walls. He too hears nothing (Listen 21).
Once Sarigar is up and about he suggests they move on. "Keep on your toes, folks, we need to get moving again."
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Friday May 28th, 2004 12:14:00 PM
As the wave of Arien's dispel washes over him and Black Paws, the two shuffle slightly...
(ooc: Don't know if that will wake me, so I'm leaving it as if I might be waking and might not be.) The rolls are good enough to wake up both Sarigar and BP. You can post. M.
Draax AC21/25, HP89 Saturday May 29th, 2004 2:01:25 PM
"The smell of some animal may have been my imagination, although I doubt that, but I am sure that I felt a small draft and can still smell the sea. So, something opened along this path when the alarm sounded. Since they did not come for us, I would guess that they are waiting for us to come to them."
Admiring Tratain handy work Draax says, "I am still having a problem believing that they would let us destroy there device without so type of effort to stop us. Although a sleep spell as potent as that one was is a pretty good deterrence. I guess my speculating is doing no good, we will find out in a little while."
Draax looks over at Sarigar and his wolf to see how they are faring.
Tratain AC 24 HP 77/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+9=17 Sunday May 30th, 2004 10:22:35 PM
Tratain says to Renik "Do you think that the statue was really what we were looking for or was it a decoy? I agree with Draax, i'm very surprised that no one was here to defend it."
He continues "Should we explore down the corridore? or leave now that the statue is smashed and I have a piece of it so it can't be easily made whole again."
Renik Monday May 31st, 2004 5:18:11 AM
(2nd post over weekend: please delete if you want us to stick to a single weekend post this time)
The rogue nods at Draax and Tratain's words. "You have a point, my friends. It seems a little odd that the goal of our quest would be so easily attained at the end. Of course it is possible that we have already slain all the devices' defenders, but somehow I doubt it. Where, for example, is Lemmran? And why did this crystalline creation look so vastly dissimilar from the original Soul Forge we destroyed?"
"That said I do remember being held in this place. The memories are vague and fractured, but I do know that this was where my very life essence was torn from my body. It's not something I'll quickly forget. All the beatings and humiliation in the world were nothing compared to that vile experience.
I feel confident we have at least destroyed the repository of life essence that the Sons of Dread were collecting. As for the reconstructed Soul Forge? My suspicion would be that it is either that rune-covered base there (less than likely, I'll admit), or (more probably) that the machine itself has been hurriedly moved as we made our attack on Lemmran's stronghold. Either way we must continue as swiftly as possible if we are to stand any chance of capturing the wayward Fixer or his infernal device."
The works of evil - DM Marcin Monday May 31st, 2004 2:52:09 PM
A single spark pierces the darkness. A sunrod is lit revealing concentrated face of Renik.
Arien uses his second scroll and, as Wardd would have it, the magic of his parchment is strong enough to revive both the wild man and his companion! Sarigar and Black Paws start to move and open their eyes. The magic induced mind numbing sleep is gone, leaving behind dizziness that is quickly shaken off.
The glowing red rune however continues to radiate its unhealthy sorceries. Arien felt his dispel wash over it with its full strength, but the magic symbol remained in place.
Somewhat suspicious of their easy victory the party starts to discuss whether the crystal statue was the machine itself or some other kind of magic device.
This question is suddenly answered in an unpleasant way.
The draft coming from the dark, unexplored passage brings a sound as if of a hammer hitting an anvil, followed by other mechanical noises: the turning of cogwheels, the creaks of metal bending under stress, the rattling of chains, the hiss of escaping steam. The rhytm of the noises picks up speed; it sounds like a dwarven foundry being light up in preparation for a busy day of work.
At the same time all heroes suddenly feel an ice cold embrace on their hearts as if they were grasped by hands of wraith. The shadows of the room enlarge and start to move on their own. The flame of the sunrod flickers for a moment, disturbed by the powerful flow of magic just as a torch would be by a gust of wind.
Renik instantly recognizes the feeling, the menace, the torture. The Machine is at work again.
[Everyone takes 1d6 damage. You can submit actions for longer than a round. No map today.][0:35]
Tratain AC 24 HP 71/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d6=6 Monday May 31st, 2004 11:02:12 PM
Tratain says "The Statue wasn't the machine, or not all of it in any case. We need to head in further and Find it and destroy it once and for all."
Feng AC 23, HP 55 (protection from lightning) d6=1 Monday May 31st, 2004 11:28:29 PM
Feng grips his axe tightly as the unnatural cold flows through him. The statue wasn't anything except a decoy.
"If we are to survive we must find the machine immediately." Feng says as he states the obvious.
protection from lightning 12 of 60
Draax AC21/25, HP86/89 d6=3 Tuesday June 1st, 2004 12:51:21 AM
Draax is relieved to see Sarigar and Black Paws coming around. He agrees with what the others are saying. They have to somehow get the real device out of the SoD's hands. The icy embrace makes him more determined to see this thing through.
Renik (HP 66/71, AC 23, Flying, Blinking) d20+11=20 d20+11=17 d6=5 Tuesday June 1st, 2004 2:27:28 AM
"Forward my friends" murmurs the rogue, moving into the passageway towards the infernal mechanism. He takes the lead, moving ahead of the party to determine what lies ahead (Move 60, Spot 20, Listen 17). "It is time to end this once and for all."
(5HP dmg)
Sarigar (AC19, 78HP), Black Paws (AC17, 33HP) Tuesday June 1st, 2004 1:00:38 PM
Sarigar and Black Paws slowly get up, rather disoriented and begin looking around the room gathering their bearings.
The Infernal Machine - DM Marcin Tuesday June 1st, 2004 5:22:52 PM
Those still prone quickly scramble to their feet. The party, led by Renik, heads into the passage. As soon as the Hamleters leave the chamber with the broken statue the attack at their life forces subsides. Even though it lasted only a moment it left a strain on the heroes' health. Renik doesn't remember suffering from an effect this strong; this must be the Machine at its full strength, able to wither a man to nothing in mere seconds... [those who didn't do that yet need to take 1d6 damage.]
A vast cavern opens before the party. The quick steps of the Hamleters and the clanking of armor echo among the stalactites. The light of Renik's sunrod is reflected from every side by crystalline salt. The cave is very large; one would guess that it must be hundreds of feet in diameter, though roughly half of it is occupied by yet another underground lake. The water is dark and murky; its surface rises and falls in conjunction with the waves beating on the cliff somewhere on the outside. The air is filled with the stench of rotting seaweeds and of animal refuse. The party passes by a collection of debris that looks deceptively like a huge nest of some sort; judging by its size it would easily accomodate twenty horses. The animal stench is stronger here. Small bits of metal gleam among the piles of accumulated dirt. The nest is empty.
The advance continues. The boots of the heroes splash in shallow puddles of water. There seems to be just one way to go - ahead, along the shoreline. And then!
***
There it stands, occupying a small alcove on the far end of the cavern, basking in its infernal glory, glowing with red, pulsating light - the diabolic artifact, the pride of the Sons of Dread, gods know if not the vilest of the devices ever made by men - the sinister machine! The design sure came a long way: from the first, portable, clumsy apparatus on four legs, through the immobile variant that was concealed by an illusion of an altar, to this! Much larger than the previous two, the new machine resembles by its complexity a complicated clockwork model of the Jericho Space, with multiple cogwheels moving all at different paces, pistons driven by steam, beams of black metal, all fitting together in some uncomprehensible way. It is a chaos of tubes, switches, glasswork, and metal details. The eyes hurt after looking at it; there is something wrong with the perspective; it is almost as if the space itself was being distorted by the artifact. The new machine is humming and vibrating.
Hair rises on the necks of the heroes. The strength of magic is perceptible by all from here even without spells.
The air smells of death.
A cloud of red, thin, shifting haze blocks the way to the machine. There seems to be something unnatural about it.
A short phrase in some dark tongue reaches the ears of the heroes. It comes from the direction of the machine and sounds like a spell being cast. The caster can't be seen from here.
[A Listen check DC17 followed by a Spellcraft check DC19 allows you to identify the spell being cast:] Highlight to display spoiler: {***Greater Invisibility***} [A Spellcraft check DC25 allows you to learn something about the red haze:] Highlight to display spoiler: {This looks like a Mind Fog. The haze is thick; several such spells might be in effect in the same place.} [http://www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:36]
Extra bit of info - DM Marcin Tuesday June 1st, 2004 6:02:08 PM
[The cloud is 20ft high. You would have to enter it in order to pass into the chamber with the machine. Thanks for asking, Carl. M.]
Renik (HP 66/71, AC 23, 27 with cover, Blinking) Tuesday June 1st, 2004 6:10:36 PM
Renik sees at once that the fog bank, fully 20 feet high, is going to make flying over the top to get at the machine an impossibility (OOC: thanks for the quick reply, Marcin!). Instead he lands and dashes towards the edge of the cloud, where pressing against the cavern wall might afford him some cover (N5, taking care to keep out of the fog bank). He calls back to his companions "Does anyone know what this filthy red stuff is? Any ideas how to get through it unscathed? How are we doing for spells that might damage that hellish device?"
His mind races as he hunts desperately for a way around this obstacle. He realises that now more than ever they are reliant upon their spellcasters, but that the relentless waves of combat the party have been through of late has left them sorely depleted of magics. Suddenly he remembers something.
"Gaxx! Do you still have that lightning wand? That might damage it some!"
Gaxx (ac 17, hp 41/62) d20+4=17 d6=3 d100=78 6d6(5+5+3+4+6+3)=26 d20+12=23 Tuesday June 1st, 2004 9:12:32 PM
(3 dam)
Gaxx moves forward 20' (to H10) pulling a rod from his belt as he moves. He towards Renik, a confused look on his face as he aims his rod at the cloud. "Huh? Lightin Wand? Wha lightnin wand?" Turning his attention to the red cloud, Gaxx shouts "Mr Wardd, give your blessing!" At the same time, he touches a gem on the side of the rod. A fireball shoots from the end of the rod and sails off into the heart of the red fog. Gaxx bounces and claps with glee.
(26 points of dam. reflex DC15 for half.) (reflex save of 23 just in case I end up in the blast radius. evasion for no damage)
Tratain AC 24 HP 71/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+9=14 d20+9=12 d20+9=18 d20+9=14 d20+9=24 d20+9=18 d20+9=27 d20+9=24 d20+9=28 d20+9=19 Tuesday June 1st, 2004 10:50:12 PM
Tratain begins casting an Area Dispel Magic spell and targets it on square S10.
Area Dispel has a 30 foot Radius. Rolling Dispel Checks for all People, Objects, and spells originating or overlaping into the the foot radius. Rolls are: 1st - Dispels up to caster level 3 2nd - Dispels up to caster level 1 3rd - Dispels up to caster level 7 4th - Dispels up to caster level 3 5th - Dispels up to caster level 13 6th - Dispels up to caster level 7 7th - Dispels up to caster level 16 8th - Dispels up to caster level 13 9th - Dispels up to caster level 17 10th - Dispels up to caster level8
The Roll is 1d20+9 if more are needed. If a person is caught in the Radius, the spell starts with the highest level spell active and checks against it. If it fails the next highest spell active is targeted and so on until one spell is dispelled or all of the rolls fail. Objects caught in the Radius are treated the same way as people in terms of checking against the dispel magic. Any active spell that originates in the radius has a chance to be dispelled. Any spells that overlap the radius have a chance to be dispelled within the dispel magic radius only.)
Tratain then advances to square H7
Arien (Mage Armor, Extended Shield, AC 25) HP: 39/41 d6=2 d20+7=27 d20+18=38 d20+18=38 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 4:00:12 AM
Arien's eyes widen a moment as he sees the infernal machine they came to destroy. His keen elven ears quickly catch the sounds of the spell being cast and his quick mind and arcane knowledge allow him to quickly identify the spell. Arien looks about quickly, hoping to catch sight of the caster before the spell takes effect. As he searches he notices the fog surrounding the machine. A quick analysis lets Arien identify the spell to the best of his abilities. "Stay out of the cloud!" Arien shouts to the members as everyone explodes into action, "It will confuse the mind and make you easy to dominate!" His warning complete Arien casts a defensive spell on himself (extended shield) and waits for the attack to come.
Current Spells: Mage Armor :18 hours Extended Shield 1/180 rounds
((OOC: Wow I hope I didn't take up all the party's luck on those three skill checks. None of them were very difficult to make but I guess Arien was ready for them. I have to say that is the first time I've ever rolled three twenties in row. Someone might want to check the dice roller to see if I broke it lol.))
Draax AC25, HP86/89 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 4:50:46 AM
Draax readies his sword and shield while waiting to see the results of the party members' magic.
"Unfortunately that is what I expected the machine to look like."
He stays where he is heeding Arien's advice about the cloud.
Feng AC 23, HP 55 (protection from lightning) Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 7:54:34 AM
Feng moved toward the machine, intent on smashing the thing, not even paying attention to the red fog. Luckily Arien notices and shouts a warning. Feng stops a few feet from the red fog, trying not to get angry.
"Can't a magical wind disperse this fog?"
ooc: prot from lightning 13 of 60
The fog of war - DM Marcin d20+2=9 [secret roll] Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 1:27:46 PM
Renik quickly takes cover behind the northern wall of the cavern. Recalling the item salvaged from the necromancers he advises Gaxx to use it, forgetting that Gaxx already handed it to someone else.
Fortunately, the dwarf has some magic of his own! Taking a step closer to the fog [which can only be a 5ft step, since he needs a move action to get the rod] he rises his device and activates its powers.
A fiery bead springs from the tip of his scepter and speeds straight for the center of the fog. The blazes of a fireball roll through the banks of the mist! After blinking out the afterglow the party notices that, unfortunately, the obstacle remains intact. The fireball didn't create enough air pressure to disperse it.
Tratain launches a carefully aimed dispel. While the wall of fog remains unaffected a nasty curse can be heard coming from the northern part of the alcove. The cleric advances closer to the fog.
Arien, having recognized the spell blocking the party's way, shares his knowledge with others, at the same time reinforcing his defenses.
Quickly assessing the situation Draax exchanges his bow for sword and shield [the bow, I assume, has been dropped to the floor?].
Weren't it for the Arien's warning the paladin would have charged into the fog. The words of the elf stop him at the very edge of the treacherous, red mist. Feng suggests to use wind to remove the obstacle.
The unseen enemy casts yet another spell. [Spellcraft DC17 to recognize:] Highlight to display spoiler: {Eagle's Splendor}
There are soft sounds of movement coming from the alcove with the machine. Whoever is moving around the room is paying attention to be stealthy. A moment later his efforts are ruined, however! There comes a gasp of surprise and a harsh, deep voice exclaims: "YOU again!? I thought- How did you-"
The speaker recovers remarkably quickly. "Never mind. If tons of rock weren't enough to kill you I will finish the job myself."
[A Listen check DC20 or a Spot check DC29 will allow you to pinpoint the place where the enemy is standing. Renik and Sarigar can't use Spot.] Highlight to display spoiler: {***U8***}
[http://www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:36.1]
Sarigar (AC19, 75HP), Black Paws (AC17, 32HP) d6=3 d6=1 d20+13=32 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 1:56:55 PM
Noting the horrible stench, the foul red mist and Arien's warning cries, Sarigar moves to the side of the cavern (I8), bringing Black Paws with him (Handle Animal 32). He unwraps the sling from his wrist and begins to load a stone.
Tratain AC 24 HP 71/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+9=28 d20+9=11 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 2:11:19 PM
Tratain is able to determine where the enemy is by listening carefully, but is not able to see him. (Listen 28, spot 11)
Tratain moves to K8 staying out of the fog waiting for thier opponent to move again.
Feng AC 23, HP 55 (protection from lightning) Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 6:17:09 PM
Feng takes a step back from the red mist, unsure if it will spread or not. There is a simple red fog preventing them from stopping this great evil.
"Is there no way to remove this blasted fog?!"
Renik d20+11=20 d20+14=25 8d6(1+6+6+6+3+3+4+3)=32 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 6:22:50 PM
They seem to be making little progress with the fog, despite the best efforts of their spellcasters. Renik calls over to Arien; "Arien, can you teleport Feng and Tratain to the far side of that fog bank? They'll do more damage there."
The rogue wracks his brains trying to think how he can help with the attack. Then, with a gasp, Renik realises that he himself carries the lightning wand that Gaxx picked up. The dwarven disciple of Wardd passed it to him immediately after the battle, and with the emotional turmoil of Setanos' death it had completely slipped his mind. But what can he do with a wand? He's no spellcaster. Sure, he's watched Arien activate magic items in the past, but he's never really tried it himself. Certainly not in combat and with such a dangerous weapon. But he's doing little good with his swords on this side of the fog, so perhaps it's time to take a chance.
Dropping his left hand sword he draws the wand and takes a step back to get a good view of the machine (5' step to M5). Though he has a good idea where the speaker is standing he realises he won't be able to hit him from where he is. Too bad; the machine will have to be target enough for now. It will be good to see if they can inflict any damage upopn it. He points the wand at the machine, turns his head to one side with his eyes tight shut, and yells "Electrolux!". Much to Renik's astonishment a flash of electricty explodes from the end of the wand, crackling through the fog towards the machine (Use Magic Device 25).
(32 HP aimed at T12. Anyone on that path needs to make Ref 17 for half (I think)).
I Should be able to do all this I think: Speak: Free Drop weapon: Free Draw: Move 5' step: Free UMD: Part of wand activation Wand activation: Standard
Gaxx (ac 8, hp 41/62) d20+4=8 d20+7=27 d20+7=9 d100=97 d100=5 d3=3 Wednesday June 2nd, 2004 8:22:13 PM
Gaxx skips forward another 5', still pointing the wand towards the fog. Since the fireball was able to sail into the fog bank on the last shot, he aims for the heart of the machine, making certain that Feng is not in the way. Gaxx shouts out with glee, "Mr. Wardd! Give us your bleesing!" He touches the gem once again. For a moment, Gaxx looks disappointed because nothing came shooting out the end. Then Gaxx realizes he has turned purple. He blinks in amazement as he holds up his hands to look at them.
(listen- 27 nat 20; Spot-9) (97 for rod result; 5 indicates wielder is affected; 3 indicates third color choice)
Draax AC25, HP86/89 Thursday June 3rd, 2004 4:24:01 AM
Draax stays on guard watches the magical efforts against the fog.
OOC: Sorry should have stated that Draax was exchanging weapons and put the bow across his bow since we were not in combat.
Stopped by vapor - DM Marcin Thursday June 3rd, 2004 2:55:21 PM
Sarigar steps to the middle of the cave and readies his sling. Tratain also repositions, coming closer to the fog, while Feng steps back.
Renik drops one of his swords, draws a scepter salvaged by Gaxx from the female necromancer, takes a step away from the wall, and concentrates on bringing about the power of the device in his hand.
A wave of heat passes through the item - it has been activated - but no arcs of electricity spring forth from it! Maybe it is not a Wand of Lightning Bolt after all?
Gaxx has similar luck with his rod. Wardd is fickle and sometimes can withhold his blessing. The power of his magic affects only Gaxx in a way that would be funny in different circumstances.
Draax finishes exchanging his weapons.
The deep voice speaks again. The heroes need to strain their ears to hear it over the humming of the machine.
"You have nothing, do you? AND you have absolutely no idea whom you have just tangled with? Let me drop a little hint" - the voice mocks. "Fear me! I want to see terror on your faces before you die!"
Another spell is cast [Spellcraft DC 22 to recognize: Highlight to display spoiler: {Mass Hold Person}].
There are no visible effects, but everyone aside from Renik, who is out of sight of the enemy, suddenly feels their limbs going numb. It takes the highest effort of will not to freeze in place [Everyone but Renik please make a Will save DC27 or be affected by a Hold Person].
The enemy, boastful in his confidence, laughs out aloud. [Listen 20 or Spot 20 to become aware where the foe is standing. Renik can't use Spot.] Highlight to display spoiler: {*U9*} [http://www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:36.2]
Renik (HP 66/71, AC 23, 27 with cover, Blinking) d100=57 d100=75 d100=80 d100=98 d100=71 d20+11=23 d20+21=34 d20+11=16 Thursday June 3rd, 2004 4:43:01 PM
"Oh my!" cries the rogue in mock-terror. He knows where his opponent is (Listen 23), there's just nothing he can do about it. Still, it can't hurt to goad him a bit. "Could it be? Great Gargul no, please no! Not here! Not now! Not... my mother-in-law!"
Despite his bravado he realises that they are at an impasse, and that their only chance is to take the fight to their enemy. At range this mage is just going to take them apart. He needs to get up close and personal, but how...
He looks at the sheer rock face ahead of him, gulps, then hisses back to Arien "Listen! I'm going to try something really stupid, and any backup you can give me will really help!"
With that the rogue makes the sign of Wardd, squares his shoulders, and plunges headlong into the rocky wall of the cavern. He wades straight ahead through solid rock, praying that his ring of blinking will see him through to the other side safely. (moving from M5 to T5, 5 50% rolls to avoid damage all came up good! Note: if moving through S5 allows him to spot that S4 is free he will move there instead of T5).
Once he gets out the other side he immediately presses himself back into the nearest cover in the rock (S4) in an attempt to keep himself hidden from the deadly mage (Hide 34), though he tries to get a glimpse of his foe (Spot 16); all that bragging has piqued his interest.
Feng AC 23, HP 55 (protection from lightning) d20+8=19 Thursday June 3rd, 2004 7:05:54 PM
Feng was tempted to test the strength of the fog when he couldn't move. His body was frozen by some magical force. He couldn't even blink.
Draax AC25, HP86/89 d20+6=14 Thursday June 3rd, 2004 7:59:22 PM
As he listens to what the enemy is saying Draax hopes that they dispel the fog soon so that he can show this wizard the real meaning of fear with the point of his sword.
Draax braces himself for whatever type of spell the wizard was casting, but he was caught totally by surprised when he finds that he cannot move any part of his body (failed save 16).
Gaxx (ac 5, hp 41/62) d20+4=5 d20+11=21 Thursday June 3rd, 2004 8:27:59 PM
(will save- 21)
Just as Gaxx prepares to take another step forward, he finds that he cannot move.
Tratain AC 24 HP 71/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+9=20 d20+9=13 Friday June 4th, 2004 1:37:37 AM
Tratain is caught completly by surprise at the strength of the Holding spell (Failed Save, Rolled 17)
Tratain is stuck staring straight ahead at the machine, but manages to spot (20) where the attacker cast his spell from.
Arien (Mage Armor, Extended Shield, AC 25) HP: 39/41 d20+11=28 d20+18=21 d20+8=17 d20+7=27 9d6(6+2+1+5+4+6+6+2+5)=37 Friday June 4th, 2004 4:37:40 AM
Arien doesn't recognize the spell that the mage cast but can identify its effects are party members begin to freeze. Arien manages to thwart the spell himself and listens as the mage boasts. Unable to see the mage Arien nonetheless manages to place the mage by his arrogant gloating. Realizing that the mage was dead ahead of him Arien lets loose with a bolt of electricity.
(Lightning Bolt DC 20, 37 damage)
((OOC: I tried to post yesterday but my internet died on me and it took a couple of hours to get back going and by then I forgot to try again.))
Current Spells: Mage Armor :18 hours Extended Shield 3/180 rounds
Sarigar (AC19, 75HP), Black Paws (AC17, 32HP) d20+4=5 d20+2=8 Friday June 4th, 2004 4:56:54 PM
Sarigar just gets his sling spinning when the magical spell takes a firm grip on him. The sling continues to spin a few moments longer, ending its rotation by wrapping itself around his hand and wrist.
Black Paws is similarly locked in place by the magical effect.
ooc: Just so you know, the excessively high save DCs are requiring me to roll 20s just to avoid the effects.
Sigh, I know, Philip. "Excessively high" is a mild way of putting it. Let me just say that I am not making things up on the fly - this NPC and his abilities have been created long time ago. M.
Held back - DM Marcin d20+6=8 [Ref save vs Lighting] Saturday June 5th, 2004 4:14:02 AM
The insidious spell takes hold of most of the party. Only Arien and Renik manage to stay free.
The rogue does the impossible and runs through twenty feet of stone. Emerging in the open, he quickly takes cover in the shadows under the wall. He notices some personal items scattered along the northern wall - a rolled up bedroll, a small table with an empty platter and a clay mug, and a few pages of parchment scattered randomly on the floor.
Arien pushes the enemy's boasts back in his throat with a lightning bolt. There is a scream of pain and for a fraction of a second the enemy's outline is visible in the middle of the cracking arc of electricity. A sickly smell of burning meat reaches the nostrils of Renik and, a moment later, Tratain. The Machine itself is also struck by the lightning. Blue arcs of sparks dance on its cogwheels and metal beams before grounding in the floor of the cavern. If any damage has been done to it it is not immediately visible.
"So, you DO have something." The voice suddenly becomes cold and emotionless. "You just wait. I'm a Fixer. I'll fix you good."
The enemy, pleased with the success of his previous spell, repeats the same incantation. This time the persons affected are Arien, Draax, and Gaxx [Joe, you were absolutely right when you pointed out that it is not possible to include all of you in the area of effect of this spell. Fortunately last round Arien made his save].
Right now everyone but Renik have to make a save to shake off a hold spell. The DC is still 27. Draax and Gaxx are affected by two such spells and need to make two saves.
There is a soft sonud of footsteps as the enemy changes his position.
[Listen DC to pinpoint him is 20 for Renik, 26 for the main group, and 30 for Arien. Only Renik can locate him with a Spot check. The DC is 20.] Highlight to display spoiler: {***U5***}
[I will make the Monday post. Jerry takes over on Tuesday.] [http://www.auburn.edu/~kulczmc/map.bmp][0:36.3]
Arien (Mage Armor, Extended Shield, AC 25) HP: 39/41 d20+11=30 d20+7=11 9d6(1+1+1+6+3+1+6+5+6)=30 9d6(5+5+3+5+5+6+4+4+4)=41 Saturday June 5th, 2004 5:52:17 AM
Growling as the spellcaster tries to hold him once more Arien shakes the spell of through pure force of will. When the Fixer moves Arien loses him and moves up (H9) to see if he can try to catch any sign of him again. Still not hearing his enemy Arien does the next thing that comes to mind and drops a fireball where the Fixer used to be and hopes that the spread catches him. Doubting that the spellcaster went through his own fog or over the machine Arien angles the spell just a little north trying to anticipate where the Fixer would have moved to. (The spell is centered in the top right corner of U9)
(Fireball Ref DC 20; 30 damage, used a hero point to reroll making the damamge 41)
Current Spells: Mage Armor :18 hours Extended Shield 4/180 rounds
Tratain AC 24 HP 71/77 (Spell Immunity: Fireball, Lightning Bolt; Endurence) d20+14=25 d20+14=34 d20+9=19 d20+9=22 Saturday June 5th, 2004 10:59:26 AM
Tratain attempts to fight off the Hold spell and feels himself almost able to move. With a Heroic second effort he gather all of his willpower and fights against the force holding him still finaly able to overcome it. (Save 25, Rerolled with Heropoint for 34)
Tratain is neither able to see or Hear thier opponent so he stays where he is.
Renik (HP 66/71, AC 23) d20+11=17 d20+11=31 d20+14=20 d20+21=33 d20+16=19 d20+13=24 d20+13=32 d20+13=18 d20+13=26 d20+13=18 d20+13=33 d20+8=17 Saturday June 5th, 2004 11:28:52 AM
From his vantage point Renik sees his enemy silhouetted in arcing blue electrical energy. He tries to follow the sound of his voice as the invisible mage moves, but the echoes of the cavern momentarily confuse him (Listen 17). However a grim smile of satisfaction spreads across his face as he sees a clear pair of footprints appear in the dust directly in front of him (Spot 31).
A split second before he moves a raging inferno of flame explodes mere inches in front of his face (OCC: I think Renik's position makes him safe from Arien's fireball. If not Ref 20, Evasion means no damage).
Taking a single step forward (5' step) the rogue emerges silently from the shadows (Hide 31, Move Silent 19). His left hand snakes around the Fixer's neck as his right makes a grab for his arm. As he does so he whispers "Fix this, Chuckles. Surprise!".
(OOC: according to Cayzle his grappling rules are still under discussion, so I'll post this grapple check by the rulebook. Please adjust as required. Renik's key aim here is to pin and silence his opponent.)
1. No AoO due to sneak attack? Not sure. 2. Grab: Touch attack AC 24. If this misses he will use his second attack to hit AC 27 (sorry, +8 not +13). 3. Hold: Grapple Check: 18, Hero Point to reroll, 26. 4. Pin (attack 1): Grapple check 18, Hero Point to reroll, 33. Will use pin to prevent opponent from speaking. 5. Move (attack 2): If Renik still has an attack left he will use it to attempt move his opponent and himself 15' south to U8: Grapple check 17.
Once (If!) Renik has his opponent held and secure he yells out to his companions "I've got him! He can't cast spells! Anyone who can move charge through the fog and take this guy out!"
Draax AC25, HP86/89 (Held) d20+6=26 d20+6=12 Sunday June 6th, 2004 3:41:00 PM
Draax focuses his willpower on breaking the spell that has a hold on him. He decides to do it one limb at a time. He uses his will to move a finger than another finger and then his hand. With the success (Natural 20, what a waste) he forces his whole body to move a step forward. As soon a he smiles because of his victory he is hit again with another spell (failed 12) and is right back where he started. Determined, he begins concentrating on moving his finger again.
Gaxx (ac 22, hp 41/62) d20+4=22 d20+11=17 d20+11=23 Monday June 7th, 2004 9:11:56 AM
Gaxx might have thought about moving except the pretty lights from the lightning bolt arcing across the machine have him mezmerized.
Victory?... - DM Marcin d20+6=23 [Ref save vs fireball] d100=34 [concealment chance on Renik's first attack] d100=17 [concealment on second attack] Monday June 7th, 2004 12:56:02 PM
Of all the incapaciated Hamleters only Tratain manages to shake off the bonds of the spell that holds him. Draax manages to overcome the magic, but a moment later is affected with the same enchantment.
Arien, having lost track of the enemy, launches a fireball at random. His calculations prove correct! There is a long, wailing scream of pain, and as the flames spread inside the room engulfing the machine the foe is once again visible as a dark hole in the sheet of fire [Adam, I am not sure if you can reroll all 9 dice with one hero point. I assumed you rerolled the first that came up as one and the damage was 34].
Renik, who stayed out of the fireball's range, locates his prey and moves out of the shadows. He has only a vague idea of the location of his enemy. Nevertheless, he attempts to get hold of the foe before he can totally annihilate the party. Renik tries to grab the foe's arm. There is a sound of torn clothing and the rogue suddenly finds himself holding a long, black sleeve that has become visible when it separated from the mage [touch attack misses; as the enemy is invisible he gets total concealment: 50% miss chance. There is also the 20% miss chance on attacks for blinking]. Renik tries to pin the mage down for the second time. This time there is a more organic sound and a scream. The rogue is left with a thick lock of black hair in his other hand [second touch attack misses because of concealment, too. Carl, keep the hero points you spent on rerolling graple checks].
The enemy, badly injured by the lightning bolt, the fireball, and now suddenly facing a menacing foe who sprung up out of the wall, does the first thing that his instincts tell him to do. Renik feels that the Fixer jumps back. A quick incantation is practically shouted out [Spellcraft DC19 to recognize: Highlight to display spoiler: {Dimension Door}].
And then, there is silence!
Those who managed to free themselves spin around wildly, listening for a hint of where the enemy might be hiding. They see and hear nothing.
Time passes, measured by the quickened pace of hearts.
One by one, the Hamleters recover from the Hold spell. Two minutes later, the whole party is back on their feet.
The magic attacks on the party have ceased. The enemy is gone.
Have they won? The machine is still here, humming softly. The flames of the fireball left no impression on it at all. The cloud of deadly vapors still hangs in the air.
[No map.][0:38]
Renik d20+9=27 d20+9=18 d20+2=11 d20+5=14 Monday June 7th, 2004 3:34:41 PM
The rogue calls back to his companions "I lost him! I think he got away!"
He moves forward cautiously, examining the area with great care for signs of his enemy or traps(Search 27) before moving over to the machine. He examines it carefully for several minutes, trying to work out how it might be deactivated. Then, satisfied that it's not booby trapped in any way (Search 18), he reaches out and pulls what he hopes is the off lever (Int 11, Disable Device 14, Renik will take 20 if that is allowed).
Draax AC25, HP86/89 Monday June 7th, 2004 9:55:20 PM
Draax is happy to finally be able to move again, but is instantly on guard when Renik states that the enemy has gotten away. Looking at the cloud, Draax wonders if there is any way around it or through it. Pointing to the cloud he says, "Any ideas?"
Tratain Monday June 7th, 2004 11:58:30 PM
Tratain examines the Machine, looking to see if there is some device that it draws power from that the party could take, or some form of control mechanism small enough to move.
He says "Try the coin again, see if we can get in contact with anyone in the War Cathedral to ask what we should do with this thing if we can't find a way to destroy it. It will probably take some powerful mages or clerics to render this thing useless completely."
He continues "I need someone to come with me to retrieve Setanos's Body, If the War Cathedral doesn't respond I think it would be best to send Arien on ahead to the city with Setanos so they can prepare for us."
Tratain then goes to get Setanos's Body with anyone else who volunteers and waits to see if thier contact and the Cathedral respons to the communication device.
Feng Tuesday June 8th, 2004 1:03:22 AM
"We didn't have any ideas before and I doubt that we have them now." Feng says with anger in his voice.
ooc: sorry about not posting on fri but hoping to get a 19 or 20 just to unfreeze and stand there doing nothing before the red cloud didn't make me want to post very much.
Arien (Mage Armor, Extended Shield, AC 25) HP: 39/41 d20+11=26 d20+18=38 Tuesday June 8th, 2004 1:29:09 AM
"I don't think our enemy is gone. I doubt he would abandon his stronghold so easily. I say we spend only a few more moments trying to figure out how to destroy this machine then we should do a thorough search of this complex to make sure he isn't hiding somewhere licking his wounds." Raising his voice a bit Arien asks Renik, "Renik, do you see any passageways or somesuch over there? Anything that could mean that there is more to this place than we've seen so far?" Arien tries to recall what he knows about the Mind Fog spell and taking a deep breath Arien walks through the spell (Will Save 26) Once on the other side Arien studies the machine trying to see if his arcane knowledge could help disabling and destroying the machine. (Knowledge: Arcanna 38)
(I looked up hero points as I was curious about that as well and all it says that you can reroll any one roll. Since that was one damage roll I would think that it would reroll the whole thing. I would think that in the case of something like magic missile where you have multiple bolts dealing damage you would burn a hero point per die but since fireball is one huge blast I would say that it would do the whole thing.)
Current Spells: Mage Armor :18 hours Extended Shield 5/180 rounds
Gaxx (ac 8, hp 41/62) d20+4=8 d20+11=27 Wednesday June 9th, 2004 8:05:04 PM
Once Gaxx can move again, he joins Renik in trying to disable the machine. (Disable Device-27)
ADM Jim Wednesday June 9th, 2004 8:08:40 PM
ooc: I'll get this going again once I get some information :)
Sarigar (AC19, 75HP), Black Paws (AC17, 32HP) Thursday June 10th, 2004 12:11:17 AM
Not really knowing what just happened to him, Sarigar just stands there, dazed and confused.
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