DM Bob and Carla - ”Behind the locked door…” Thursday November 9th, 2023 11:46:57 PM
The Luck Makers assemble outside the storeroom (door#7). When Snark’s silent servant elicits no reaction, and the mage’s search for magical auras comes up empty, Isaac overcomes his revulsion, and enters the chamber. With the benefit of Benni’s glowing buckler he pokes around amongst the bones and nest of mouldering rags and finds:
Leather armour (50 GP) Punching dagger (2 GP) Recorder style flute (10 GP) Fancy metal box (5 GP) that slides open to reveal a deck of vellum playing cards (1 GP) Set of 6 6 sided dice (6 SP each for 36 SP total) 2 lb bag of marbles (1 SP) Leather bag containing 50 GP
Whether the displacer beast was the mother or the sister of the creature killed during an earlier foray into the ruins, it appears they were a solitary pair, and neither had kits.
The den inspected, Benni succumbs to Snark’s cajolery, and leads the way to the building with the large double doors centred by a green lock (door #2). Jasper, scimitar in hand, has the cleric’s back! Beatrix is close by, primed for action as well.
Benni pulls the newest key, places it in the lock, and turns. There is some resistance at first, but then the magic engages and the internal tumblers release, rumbling and clicking into place. The elf pushes the door open and uses magical light to illuminate the inside of the chapter house.
The chamber is every bit as grand as the great hall, although on a smaller scale - at least 50 ft across and just as long. Like the great hall, there are stained glass windows and walls lined with bookshelves. The light from Benni’s buckler flashes across a large table and chair, with more chairs - 8(?) set in a curve around a circular motif in the floor. A small chest on one shelf. A few framed pictures on the walls between book stacks. A thick layer of dust coats everything…
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Friday November 10th, 2023 2:02:33 AM
Snark will work with the others to gather up the useful things from the Displacer Beast's nest. He's particularly interested in the bag of marbles and the dice. Before he leaves he will use Arcane Mark to write "SNARK" on the outside wall.
As the group makes their way over to Door #7, Snark goes along taking his Unseen Servant with him. He puts the tarp away.
Once Benni opens the door, Snark will step inside with the others. He will cast Detect Magic, looking over the things in the room.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 d20=14 ; Friday November 10th, 2023 6:13:04 AM
Beatrix will look over the windows, trying to place the images depicted within them. (Knowledge: History 24)
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) d20+7=8 ; Friday November 10th, 2023 12:26:52 PM
Onesimos steps into the chapter house, feeling nostalgia for his own time a century ago as a new acolyte in the temples of Flower.
”If there is a disturbance, it certainly hasn’t been here. We will need to find stairs up… or down.”
........ Perception 8
Active Spells: Light (1 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+21=35 ; Friday November 10th, 2023 2:16:09 PM
Jasper asks Isaac if she can take a look at the cards. She once knew a woman who practiced divination, and so she's curious if these cards might be put to the same use.
"Do you mind if I keep these? They remind me of someone. Hmm. Whoever was here before us must have enjoyed games."
Box and cards stowed (if no one objects,) she cautiously steps into the decayed grandeur of the room beyond the green lock.
She takes in her surroundings and begins exploring. (Perception 35)
She looks at the scenes depicted in the stained glass and pictures, examines the bookshelves, and pauses at the circular motif on the floor, paying particular attention to stones that might be concealed traps or triggers for doors. Finally, she casts Detect Magic on the chest.
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Friday November 10th, 2023 10:00:56 PM
Isaac opens his bag and pulls out his bag of holding. "We can probably get some coin for some of this stuff." He places anything left in the bag to take back to town. Inside the chapter house house Isaac looks around and drags a line in the dust "My keen senses tell me we're probably the first to be here in a long time." He moves over to the paintings trying to get a good look at them he asks Snark "Any chance that magic servant can clean all this dust?"
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) Saturday November 11th, 2023 10:08:26 PM
Urist asks for the dice. "We can play Labyrinths and Liontaurs with these!"
She follows Benni and Snark, ready for anything.
DM Bob & Carla ”The Chapter House” Sunday November 12th, 2023 10:22:35 PM
Once Benni opens the door with his newest jade key, the rest of the Luck Makers quickly enter. The room is tastefully appointed and appears to be some kind of meeting room. The heavy stone walls are smooth to the touch, and most of the mortar remains intact which speaks to the fine craftsmanship employed by its builders.
Snark detects magic upon entering the room. Apart from the overall magic auras that seem to permeate every part of the Abbey that they have visited, a strong set of auras (abjuration & transmutation) are emitted by a large circular area approximately 20’ in diameter in the middle of the room. A thick layer of dust obscures any details. Nothing else in the room detects as magic, including the small chest on the shelf.
Beatrix and Jasper examine the stained glass windows. The largest of the windows is on the wall directly across from the doorway. It is circular in design and depicts 3 concentric rings surrounding a large central core. Each ring is populated by a series of sigils arranged around its circumference. The central circle shows the symbol for Kevintar. Jasper recognizes that the window is a smaller version of the large window above the altar in the Great Hall. The remaining windows in this chamber are all much smaller and although of various shades do not depict anything in particular.
Jasper then joins Isaac in examining the pictures hanging from the walls. The drawings show various stages of the abbey’s development through time from initial clearing of the land to completed complex. A framed pen and ink drawing of building plans for the completed Abbey hangs in its own frame separate from the other drawings.
Urist, Isaac and Benni assist with investigations and remain alert to any potential dangers.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Monday November 13th, 2023 1:04:21 AM
Snark hands a damp cloth to the Unseen Servant and points at the large circular area whose details are obscured by dust. "Hey Casper - take this damp rag and go clear the dust off of that area there."
Then to moves over to the circle and tries to identify the properties of the thing. (Take 10 on Spellcraft, giving him a 10+19=29 vs. DC 15 + the item's caster level.)
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Monday November 13th, 2023 6:39:54 AM
Onesimos is all ready to move on from the room until Snark identifies a circle of magic upon the floor. He is dubious about this being the place that has been creating the magical disturbances because of the layer of dust, but admits to the others that the way to fix something is not always at the same location where it was broken. "A poem can be made better not by changing a problem line, but by the lines around it, or a flower can bloom not by changing the flower, but by the soil."
........ Active Spells: Light (1 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) d20+8=11 ; d20+8=20 ; Monday November 13th, 2023 9:31:33 PM
Urist tries to analyze the circle on the floor (especially after the dust is gone) and the circles in the window.
Know Arcana 11 Know Planes 20
"I once used a magic circle to summon a demon boyfriend, but later I dumped him. He was too possessive."
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Monday November 13th, 2023 11:54:32 PM
Isaac looks at the framed blueprints and pen. "Hey do these plans match up with the grounds we've seen so far?" Isaac ask this question out loud to the rest of the group.
DM Bob & Carla ”The Chapter House” Tuesday November 14th, 2023 12:12:23 AM Isaac looks at the framed drawing that is much more factual than the rough sketch provided by Olostim. He can identify the Great Hall, the courtyard, the storage building that served as a den for the displacer beast, and the building they are currently in (The Chapter House). The drawing shows considerable detail with each building identified.
Snark has his unseen servant wipe away some of the dust on the floor, and everyone can see the striking similarity to the image in the window above. While Benni looks on, the wizard continues his arcane investigations and is able to determine that the strong auras of abjuration and transmutation indicate magics associated with the opening of things locked with complex overlapping spells and the shaping of stones.
With the dust wiped away from the area of interest, Urist and the others can see the large central disc on the floor surrounded by 3 concentric rings. The disc is made of a highly mineralized stone with streaks of jade running throughout and is slightly domed. Each of the three outer rings sport a series of raised sigils around their circumference. Urist recognizes the symbol for Kevintar carved into the stone of the central disc. The dwarf thinks that the outer rings are moveable.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 d20+15=33 ; d20+15=25 ; d20+19=36 ; Tuesday November 14th, 2023 1:13:57 AM
Snark is a little worried about Benni.
"Hey Benni - why would you keep a problem line in a poem, and change the whole rest of the poem? I don't mean no disrespect, but I'm wondering if you elves just get bored after a few hundred years and start rewriting old poems. But you are right that it matters for plants where you plant them."
The little greenmage turns his attention back to the circles on the floor. Assuming Urist shares his discovery of movable rings, Snark will push on them to see which ones move. Then he will look up at the window and say, "Hey, do the rest of you see any differences between the symbols and pictures on that window and the ones on the floor?"
He looks at the two - Perception 33.
He also uses his Linguistics skill to see of there is a message in all this - Linguistics 25.
Does his arcane knowledge yield anything more - Arcana 36.
Do his earlier attempts to Identify the properties of this device tell him how to actually activate this device?
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) d20+7=23 ; Tuesday November 14th, 2023 6:40:18 AM
Onesimos smiles as the investigations continue. "Perhaps the line isn't the problem, but the stanza around it? Perhaps neither are a problem, but are in the wrong place in the poem? The Wold is rarely as straightforward and certain as most people perceive, for we tend to focus on the shadow on the wall and not what is making the shade." Benni smiles to himself again. Ideas are seeds, they need to be planted and then need time to grow...
Then the cleric frowns. "The story is that Kevintar was imprisoned for a long time, and in his solitude had a change of heart. These are circles with strong abjuration? Maybe we should leave them alone for now: there is no telling what could have been imprisoned here by the priests."
........ Know Religion: 23 Active Spells: Light (1 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 d20=18 ; Tuesday November 14th, 2023 9:19:59 AM "Well we're here to stop whatever is causing disruptions. Something sealed away and the seal weakening might be the cause of it. And if those things can be moved maybe putting them in the right position will do something." Beatrix observes. She'll help Snark with his examination before meddling though (18 to aide another)
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+21=24 ; Tuesday November 14th, 2023 12:33:04 PM
Jasper listens to Snark's explanation, then Benni and Beatrix's musings.
"So Benni, you believe this might be a locked door, and Beatrix, you think the lock might be damaged. By 'do something,' do you mean that moving the rings might flip the lock and open the door?"
She looks at the sigils in the rings, wondering if they exactly mirror the placement of symbols in the window. If they don't, perhaps-- if the team decides it's the right course of action-- they can move the rings to match. She also looks for any sort of pattern or the sigils themselves. Do they repeat? Do the shapes transform? If they represent numbers, do they increase or decrease in any kind of increment? If they represent letters, is there a cipher key somewhere that might allow the team to read them?
(Perception: 24)
___ OOC: Sorry for missing yesterday. 'Twas my birthday!
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Tuesday November 14th, 2023 2:33:40 PM
Benni considers what Beatrix says and has to nod to Jasper. "Yes, I think either could be true. But our school marm has a point: if there is already something wrong (and we know that is true), then we have to do something to fix it. Leaving this alone only helps to bring more tidal waves."
Benni will help with aligning stones.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) d20+12=32 ; d20+12=18 ; Tuesday November 14th, 2023 10:34:48 PM
"Moving the rings may be the intended way to customize, lock, or unlock the ring. Not sure that we should tamper with it."
"But if it is broken or damaged or weakened, maybe dwarven eyes can tell."
Know Engineering (with stonecunning) 32!
She takes out a small hammer and taps OUTSIDE the circles, listening for flaws in the stone. Craft Stone (with stonecunning) 18
DM Bob & Carla ”The Chapter House” Tuesday November 14th, 2023 10:49:51 PM Benni voices concern that whatever is sealed below might best be left undisturbed but after some discussion about the wisdom of proceeding a rapid consensus forms that despite the potential danger, they are here to locate what is wrong…and fix it! Snark, Jasper and Beatrix compare the the symbols on the three rings to those depicted in the window. The Druid recognizes some of the sigils as being related to different spheres of knowledge. Others she is unsure of, and others she has never seen before. Whatever they may represent, the Luck Makers determine that they match those in the window but they are not in the same alignment.
Thus begin the attempts to rotate the rings. Urist examines the rings and his tapping reveals no hidden flaws or damage. It’s been many years since the rings have been moved and the first attempts are not met with immediate success, but after some further work in cleaning the grooves the inner most ring can be realigned. Only after the inside ring is in the correct position does the next ring yield to their attempts, and then finally the last ring is realigned to match the window. The Luck Makers stand back to watch the results of their work. At first nothing…and then after a moment, the entire contraption begins to faintly glow with a now familiar greyish-green aura. A sharp ‘crack’ is followed by a puff of dust arising from the central stone. The central slab of stone begins to reshape itself in the middle to reveal an indentation in the shape of an elaborate compass rose.
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Tuesday November 14th, 2023 10:55:36 PM
Isaac looks at the blueprint intrigued but is hesitant to take it he didn't want to awaken any ghostly cartaker like Snark and those librarian ghosts. He first pulls out a blank paper and tries to copy it best he can . Once done he tries to look at the details of the chapter house and see if the strange stones were planned at the begging of its construction or added later. If he finds anything he tells the others he also helps move stones.
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Wednesday November 15th, 2023 6:49:51 AM
Onesimos helps out with the cleaning and moving, and stands back when fully aligned. The greyish-green aura might be familiar, but so is the awe on the cleric's face while witnessing it! He continues to watch and observe.
......... Active Spells: Light (1 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 d20=11 ; Wednesday November 15th, 2023 8:47:28 AM
Beatrix excitedly steps forward to examine compass, attempting to intuit any meaning (just going to go raw INT check - 15)
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Wednesday November 15th, 2023 8:10:13 PM "Hmmm. A missing compass rose. There's one place we haven't checked."
The little gnome trots over to the shelf that holds the small chest. He looks at it and casts Mending on the thing to make sure it doesn't disintegrate when he tries to open it. Or rather, when his Unseen Servant does.
Snark puts the chest on the floor and stands back as he says, "OK Casper, open that box for me." Hopefully the Unseen Servant does not trigger anything.
Assuming it can be opened, the gnome will then go up and look inside. If it happens to contain something that looks like an elaborate compass rose, he cast Mending on that before taking it out and placing it in the middle of the big contraption on the floor. Then he stands back to see what happens next.
If it contains something else, well, I guess he'd probably cast Mending on that and take it out to examine whatever it is.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) Wednesday November 15th, 2023 9:45:04 PM
Urist watches the three rings. "This is a real circus!"
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+21=26 ; Thursday November 16th, 2023 12:44:47 PM
Jasper orients herself so she's facing North, as specified by the compass rose, and glances at the cardinal directions. What are the rays pointing to?
(Perception 26)
DM Bob & Carla ”The Chapter House” Thursday November 16th, 2023 2:33:22 PM Benni and Urist look on as the central stone reforms to reveal the intricate indentation below. The dwarf cannot resist the opportunity to ‘clown’ around. Isaac spends a few minutes copying the framed plan of the Abbey to a separate piece of paper. The magical stones at the centre of the Chapter House floor are not shown on the plan. When the paladin moves in for a closer look he finds that the central stone has reformed back into a solid shape.
Snark opens the small wooden chest on the shelf using his invisible servant. The box is lined in velvet and contains a candle, a seal of office, a small bottle of ink and two quills. None of the contents detect as magic. The mending spell ensures that whatever their age, the items will not be damaged by routine handling. The bottle of dried up ink returns to a liquid form.
Jasper has a good look at the inset shape and sees that while it is indeed shaped like a compass rose, it does not have any directional markers. It does look vaguely familiar to at least some of the Luck Makers (Int Check 15) Highlight to display spoiler: { to recall the medallions carved into each of the busts of former abbots in the Great Hall }. Benni and Jasper receive a +5 circumstance bonus on intelligence check.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Thursday November 16th, 2023 7:13:36 PM
Snark looks at the seal before he pockets the seal, wax, ink and quills from the box.
He can see that Isaac is doing a nice job copying the map. "Smart thinkin' there Isaac." He casts Mending on the original map for good measure.
The gnome pulls out his pipe and stuffs it with some tobacco. Then he lights it with a Tindertwig. He puffs on it for a moment as he thinks.
(Take 10 on the Int Check for 10+5=15)
"Hmm, we got us a puzzle here. Those busts back in the great hall were carved wearing medallions 'bout the shape of that indentation we saw. I think we outghta go back there and see if we can remove one of 'em. Come on Casper - let's go see what we can find."
Unless there are strong feelings about another course of action, Snark will go with the others back to the Great Hall and see if any of those busts are magic, if any of the medallions can be removed, and if any of the busts have something hidden under them. If such a compass rose can be found there, the little gnome will bring it back here, turn the dials back to position again and fit the compass rose into the indentation of possible.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 d20=9 ; Friday November 17th, 2023 6:34:30 AM
(Hoping I can use the one I rolled last round, else I rolled to low this round)
Beatrix nods along with Snark. "You're right, so perhaps this is in some way related to a past abbot. The statues may give use clues on what to do here." She'll test if there anything that can be moved like with the previous object, as just a big compass seems not worth hiding behind the previous security measure.
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) d20+6=21 ; Friday November 17th, 2023 7:20:35 AM
Onesimos shakes his head. "I see what you are thinking, but the medallions that Jasper and I saw on the statues were carved as part of the statue, it is unlikely that the key medallion would be there. I would think that it will be wherever the body of the last abbott lays."
"And with Isaac's drawing, we have two best possible places: the Abbott's House if he died and was not buried, or the Crypt if he was."
Despite his words, Benni will follow wherever the group decides.
......... Int Check: 21 Active Spells: Light (5 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) d20+14=27 ; Friday November 17th, 2023 11:51:30 AM
"Hey wait! If those amulets are part of the statue, you'll need a stonecarver who can shape stone!"
Urist lends a hand with a State Carving Skill check of 27 and, if necessary, the casting of a stone shape spell.
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 d20+1=11 ; Friday November 17th, 2023 2:55:39 PM
Isaac asks "It looked like a compass rose for a second." He looks at the map and thinks that the stained glass windows may have something to do with it but then hears snark speak up. "The busts?" Isaac is a little dubious of the idea but decides to follow Snark. "So are we looking for a medallion with a specific symbol or shape? we better be careful not to disturb to much I don't want those library ghosts to get on to us again."
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+5=15 ; Friday November 17th, 2023 3:22:53 PM
Jasper chews on her lower lip in thought. "There's obviously a connection. Maybe the compass rose is less functional than it is symbolic. I guess it could be a seal of office?
I believe we already cast Detect Magic in the Great Hall, but maybe not specifically on the busts. Isaac, can I get a look at that map? I just want to recall the layout and where we've already been.
I'd rather try to find a real medallion-- even if it's currently around the throat of a skeleton-- than liberate a carving of one from stone.
But, barring displacer beasts, it can't hurt to go back if that's what you'd all prefer to do."
DM Bob & Carla ”The Chapter House” Friday November 17th, 2023 11:27:01 PM
Having solved the puzzle of the three rings, only to come across yet another puzzle, the Luck Makers recall the medallions carved into the busts in the Great Hall. The discussion that ensues suggests two possible options. Snark and Urist suggest removing one of the carved medallions from a bust to see if it works in the lock. The dwarf volunteers her significant stone working skills and spells to aid in the task.
Benni, Beatrix, Isaac and Jasper suggest that it is unlikely a stone replica will suffice and that the real medallion should be located, probably wherever the last abbot might be found. While a visit to the Great Hall may be warranted to better identify the specifics of what they will be looking for, Isaac reminds everyone of the temperamental ghosts that may take umbrage should they damage any of the busts.
Jasperand Issac review the drawings of the Abbey, noting the location of the Great Hall, the Cloisters/Courtyard where they defeated the displacer beast, the cellars where they found it’s lair, as well as the Abbot’s House should they decide to go there.
A decision needs to be made, double back to the Great Hall or explore somewhere new.
Jerry d100=64 ; Saturday November 18th, 2023 10:59:12 AM
testing...
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 Saturday November 18th, 2023 1:35:48 PM "I vote that we start with the crypt."
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Saturday November 18th, 2023 4:42:02 PM
Onosimos, too, thinks the Crypt is the best place. "We go where the majority wants to go", he agrees.
........ Active Spells: Light (6 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Saturday November 18th, 2023 7:42:36 PM
Isaac speaks up "We should probably visit the Abbot's home first before we start in the crypt. Trying to find a single medallion by just opening the tombs will most likely alert some undead and with how corrupted this place has become we should keep that to a minimum. Besides that does anyone know WHO was the last abbot of this place? What if we get into the crypt and there's ten different abbots buried in it."
Isaac cast his vote for the Abbots home.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 d20+15=22 ; d20+15=16 ; d20+15=18 ; d20+15=17 ; d20+19=36 ; d20+19=31 ; d20+19=36 ; d20+12=21 ; d20+12=13 ; d20+12=27 ; Saturday November 18th, 2023 7:46:28 PM
(If i've learned one thing, it's when the DM reminds the party of something, there may be a reason. The DM reminded us of the medallions on the busts in the Great Hall.)
Snark puffs on his pipe. "We can go with a majority when we gotta choose, but I don't think gotta choose here. Let's do both. Maybe we just need to look at the medallions on the busts to know what were looking for elsewhere, but I agree we shouldn't break them up if we don't have to. So let's go back to the Great Hall to look at those busts and then go down to the Catacombs. With the dead. And probably the undead."
Snark will lead the way back to the Great Hall with his Unseen Servant in tow. We'll look carefully at the medallions on the busts carefully, examining the bust thouroughly and even turning them all over in case there's something hidden beneath that that little statue of Kevintaur. He'll use Detect Magic as we examine the busts in case we missed something the first time through.
Assuming nothing particularly noteworthy happens to keep us in the Great Hall, we will then follow Benni down in to the Catacombs.
Some Perception rolls if needed: 22, 16, 18, 17 Spellcraft: 36, 31, 36 And Knowledge Arcana if applicable: 21, 13, 27
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) Sunday November 19th, 2023 9:21:10 AM
"At the least, there will be a good tale or three in it!"
DM Bob & Carla ”The missing piece of the puzzle…?” Sunday November 19th, 2023 11:34:42 PM Snark insists on revisiting the Great Hall in order to further examine the statues and leads the party back. The way is familiar and their path unobstructed. Each of the busts sports an identical carved representation of a medallion. Perhaps a symbol of office worn by the individual in charge of the Abbey? Any attempt to touch the busts draws the attention of the two ghosts working the nearby shelves.
Jasper, Benni and Urist suggest the crypts as the next destination, however close study of Isaac’s copied map (and the map on the wall) only reveal that the catacombs lie below the Chapter House and adjacent Monks Day Room. No doorway or stairs to the area is marked, and no passage is found in the Chapter House proper.
The paladin suggests the party try the Abbot’s house for clues.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Monday November 20th, 2023 1:58:55 AM
Snark looks at the same medallion depicted on each of the busts. Surmising these to be past Abbots, he agrees with Isaac that the Abbot's house might be the best place to go next.
"Isaac's right. We oughta go to the Abbot's house and look for the medallion carved on each of these guys. The real one might be there. And since we don't see no way into that cellar, I bet once we find it and activate that contraption in the Chapter House, that's gonna give us our way into them crypts. Let's go."
Snark will go with the others to the Abbot's House, looking for the medallion. He'll start by scanning the Abbot's House with Detect Magic, both outside and in.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) d20+14=22 ; d20+12=31 ; Monday November 20th, 2023 6:14:28 AM
"If it is only the SHAPE of the amulet that acts as a key, well, I could MAKE one," says Urist. "I could shape stone and then carve it just so to make a perfect replica."
If a few people agree, she will use a stone shape spell and stone carving to make a duplicate amulet.
Craft Statuary 22 Craft Stonemasonry 31
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Monday November 20th, 2023 7:48:27 AM
Onesimos sends a little prayer of thanks to Flower for his friends who in their various ways love all life, love each other, and love their common purpose. They are also quite insightful! It is not a burden to go back to the Great Hall and confirm their hunch is that they should look for the Abbot to find the specific amulet and and not that it was hidden among the books and ghosts.
Benni shakes his head at the dwarf. "I would expect it is magical properties of the actual amulet, otherwise it is not as good of a key. But Isaac has a terrific idea! Let's get the clues to which crypt to open: I would prefer as few tales there as possible!"
........ Active Spells: Light (20 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 Monday November 20th, 2023 1:01:41 PM "Abbot's house it is."
Jasper observes Urist at work. "What fine workmanship! A perfect likeness. You're an artist, Urist."
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Monday November 20th, 2023 10:42:50 PM
Isaac has a sigh of relief. "To be honest going into the crypt worries me. I don't want a repeat of the outhouse." Isaac will open the door to the Abbotts house first incase of any undead or traps.
DM Bob & Carla ”The missing piece of the puzzle…?” Monday November 20th, 2023 11:26:46 PM
While discussions take place Urist searches the area for raw material to shape and settles on some stone rubble that has fallen from the ceiling. After some time she has managed to craft a medallion of the exact outer dimensions as the statues. The points of the compass rose are in the correct orientations and the patterns on the upper surface of the medallion look like an exact replica. The dwarf can only guess at what the bottom side of the medallion looks like, or its thickness. Nonetheless, Jasper commends her on the detail of her work.
Benni agrees that that the Abbot’s house should be the next stop, and the party heads in that direction. (If Urist tries her replica medallion in the Chapter Room she finds it a clumsy fit that will not sit properly in the recessed stone.)
They Luck Makers follow Isaac past the Chapter House and out of the courtyard along a covered pathway between two buildings to find the Abbot’s House. Snark scans the area for magic and unsurprisingly, the magic auras that permeate the Abbey as a whole are also found on the small stone cottage. A single doorway is accompanied by two small windows on either side and a single window on the side of the building. All the windows are too small for even a medium sized creature to gain entry. The heavy wooden door also detects as magic with strong auras of the same kinds of warding that were detected on the Chapter House and the main entrance to the abbey. Snark calls out a warning to Isaac as he reaches for the door.
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Tuesday November 21st, 2023 2:44:24 AM "Isaac - look out! There are strong warding magics on the door! Same thing as on the entrance to the Abbey and on the Chapter House door. I'll see if I can figure out what we're dealing with here. We should see if our keys works - here's mine. If that don't work, I think me and Jasper could get in through one of them windows, but I'll need a boost. Anybody tall enough to see in the windows to tell what's inside? Maybe there's a secret door somewhere."
Thinking it would be nice to see what this warding will do before someone blows up, Snark will concentrate with Detect Magic to determine the types of magic involved, and to also identify what the magic does.
Taking 10 on his Knowledge Arcana for the schools of magic involved would be 22 vs. DC is 15 + spell level or 1/2 caster level for non-spell effect. Taking 10 on Spellcraft check to identify any magical properties associate with the door and warding would be 29 vs. DC is 15 + item's caster level.
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) Tuesday November 21st, 2023 7:05:12 AM
Benni doesn't like the idea of Snark and Jasper climbing through a window by themselves, and hopes one of the four keys they currently have will work on the door. He has a Locate Object scroll, but it doesn't last long and only works on specific objects if they have been seen before: the cleric is dismally certain if he tries, it would only lead to a stone medallion from the Great Hall.
So Benni shines his Light into one of the windows and tries to see inside.
........ Perception:
Active Spells: Light (22 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 Tuesday November 21st, 2023 7:11:13 AM
Beatrix will go look in the windows to see if she can see anything inside.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) d20=17 ; d20+14=26 ; d20=3 ; Tuesday November 21st, 2023 9:33:56 AM
Urist casts an Unseen Servant and has it tap on the cottage walls as she looks for Secret Doors, circling around. Urist takes out a small hammer and taps as well, trying to determine anything she can.
Perception 17 (Unseen Servant's roll of 3 does not Aid Another!) Dwarven Stonecunning Stonemasonry 26
She casts Temperature Control too, mostly because it last a real long time, so why not?
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+21=37 ; Tuesday November 21st, 2023 2:02:06 PM
Jasper peers in the windows but doesn't approach the door until Snark and Urist finish their investigations. She looks for traps or anything that might resemble a keyhole. (Perception 37)
"I can either wildshape or cast Gaseous Form to get in. Oh! Do we spy anything that looks like jade?"
DM Bob & Carla ”The missing piece of the puzzle…?” Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 12:12:16 AM Snark shouts a warning to Isaac before he can attempt to open the cottage’s door. It is a good thing because his detect magic is able to detect a powerful glyph of warding upon the door. Further arcane investigation leads the gnome to believe a high level evocation spell is stored within the glyph. He further believes that opening the door will cause an explosion of sound to ring forth, more powerful than simply an alarm.
Urist and a newly conjured unseen servant begin investigating the walls of the stone cottage, tapping with hammers and listening to the stone to hear what it may tell. They discover no secret doors, nor any traps but the dwarf does get the feeling the stone is no ordinary stone. It has been shaped by magic and is likely immutable unless reshaped by a very powerful mage indeed. Feeling the cold, or maybe it’s just the dull grey skies and overall creepiness of the Abbey, Urist pauses to cast Control Temperature to warm her spirits.
Benni, Jasper and Beatrix peer through the windows to get a look inside. the glass is old, dusty, and has a wavy quality to it that allows only a distorted view of the inside of the cottage. Jasper detects no traps or keyholes through the window. Beatrix and Benni get the impression of an orderly and well-kept place. They can see some tables and chairs, what might be a desk in another room, some cabinets, but closer inspection will be required to see much more.
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) d20+7=8 ; d20+7=18 Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 6:40:20 AM
Onesimos wonders. "A Glyph of Warding, hrmm... Let's see if we can gain entrance with a Dispel Magic spell!"
The cleric planned the spell to counter a spellcaster in combat, but it should work here, too. (nat 1) Benni feels a great resistance and heroically tries to overcome it (18).
........ Cast Dispel Magic: targeted on the Glyph, nat 1, HERO POINT re-roll: 18 (should beat a 4th level spell or below unless other conditions are in effect.)
Active Spells: Light (22 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. **Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 8:22:24 AM
Beatrix tries to go over in her head how many key's they've fond and used. Even if they dispel the glyph they might need to go hunting for a key.
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+7=18 ; Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 1:03:16 PM
Jasper decides to give Dispel Magic a go, too, in the even that Benni needs backup. She casts it on the door, and she too ends up with an 18.
She feels the ward's power as a slight pounding behind her eyes.
"Snark, does that ward extend to the windows, too?" She picks up a rock and considers the best place to attempt smashing the glass.
______
Wildshape: 2/day; current shape: NA Spells Running:
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 2:43:47 PM
Isaac whose hand was on the door gingerly takes it off and steps several feet back. "Thanks for the head up Snark" Isaac thinks for a bit and asks "If it's trapped can we open the door outside of the spells range mabe with a string tied to the handle or a spell?"
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 d20+17=25 Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 6:42:09 PM
Snark checks the enchantments after Benni and Jasper try to dispel them. If they're gone, he'll use the keys, and failing that chop down the door.
However, if the dispels are unsuccessful, he says"Good try, but it's still there. So, here's my thought. I'll have Casper here try the keys to see if they work, and if that sets off the trap, well, we'll be far enough away that it won't matter. No offence there Casper." The Unseen Servant is also a mindless and silent servant, so it does not answer.
"Now, if that don't work, I kept a spell slot open today. Gimme 15 minutes and I'll memorize Knock. Then we'll get about a hunnerd feet away and I'll try to open the door that way. And if that don't work, well, let's just bust in a window. It didn't look like the Explosive Runes trap was on them windows."
If the Unseen Servant using the keys doesn't work, Snark will add Knock to his spells for the day, and cast knock from 100' away, and see if that works. Caster Level check for Knock is 25.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 11:06:02 PM
Urist mentally tells her unseen servant to go bump into Snark's unseen servant, over and over.
But when it heads towards the Glyph, she calls it back.
She readies a magic missile on a scroll if an enemy attacks.
DM Bob & Carla ”The missing piece of the puzzle…?” 5d6=13 ; Wednesday November 22nd, 2023 11:50:53 PM Benni and Jasper both attempt to dispel the magic contained within the glyph on the front door to no avail. The ward is resilient in the face of their magics. Isaac backs away from the door and suggests trying to open it from a distance, a suggestion Snark takes to heart. He clears everyone a long way back from the door and sends his unseen servant in with a key to try the lock. The key bounces from side to side as gnome’s servant jockey’s for position with Urist’s invisible helper, but eventually Casper prevails and approaches the door.
Beatrix tries to recall all the keys they have recovered so far and can only hope the unseen servant is trying the right one, otherwise it’s down to breaking a window to get in as the druid suggested.
The invisible helper places the key into the lock. It slides in, but not without effort as ages of dust and rust have accumulated in the key hole. When the key is finally turned a tremendous explosion of sound bursts from the glyph. The word ”FLEE!” Rings out with such power that all within 30 feet of the door would be deafened and take 5d6=13 pts of sonic damage. Luckily, everyone had backed away to a safe distance and suffered no more than some temporary ringing in their ears. The unseen servant however is obliterated by the force of the shout and the key remains in the lock.
The mage is able to deduce that the glyph on the door was a Greater Glyph of Warding that contained within it the spell Shout. Now that it had been discharged, the remainder of the keys could safely be tried at the Luck Makers leisure. None of the keys in their possession will open the lock. With one last trick up his sleeve, Snark spends some time preparing and then casting a Knock spell and the door swings open.
“Benni” AC 21/11/20 CMD19. HP 48/ 48 Onesimos (SteveK) d20+7=19 Thursday November 23rd, 2023 9:33:24 AM
Onesimos isn't overly sad his spell didn't work, nor Jasper's. What matters is with help and ingenuity, the team accomplished a tough task together. "This reminds me about a story where Pragma had to rely on a whole group to do their particular expertise to make a community stronger."
The cleric pushes the Knocked door open and moves inside and to the left, raising his Light spelled buckler to see better and allow others to come in too.
...... Perception: 19 Active Spells: Light (22 of 70min), Ghost Weapon on Isaac (1 of 7hrs)
Benni Spells (** used) a. Calming Touch (1/6), Good Touch (0/6), Channel (5/8) 0. Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Stabilize 1. Prot v Evil. Prot v Chaos. Bless. Magic Weapon. Comprehend Languages. Shield of Faith. 2. Align Weapon. **Less Restoration. Delay Poison. Calm Emotions. 3. Prayer. Invisibility Purge. **Dispel Magic. **Ghost Weapon. 4. Holy Smite. Freedom of Movement.
Beatrix and Tinkerbell (Mitch) HP 52/55 AC 16/13/14 CMD 21 Tinkerbell HP 28/28 AC 23/15/21 d20=11 ; Thursday November 23rd, 2023 10:59:12 AM
Beatrix is confused by the ward. Was that some sort of warning there is danger inside? Or just to scare off intruders and warn sentries to come? She'll enter cautiously, eyes out for danger (perception 11)
Jasper (Holly) HP 62/62 AC 21 /13/19 CMD 9 | CMB 7 d20+21=28 ; Thursday November 23rd, 2023 1:25:11 PM
Jasper shakes her head like the bear she sometimes is to equalize the pressure in her ears. "Knock is a splendid spell. Thanks, Snark! Sorry about Casper. Although unseen, he? Er, it? was growing on me."
She draws her scimitar and carefully advances into the structure, eyes open for danger. (Perception 28)
Snark Riverstone (MarkB) AC17 T13 F15, CMD 12, HP 41/41 Thursday November 23rd, 2023 6:12:18 PM
Snark recovers the keys. He is puzzled that the Dwarf would intentionally interfere with his attempts to get into the Abbot's house. He looks at the Urist for a moment. "I remember when we first met, you said the dwarves at the quarry sent you here. I'm starting to understand why. I'll try to have a better sense of humor than they did."
He replies to Jasper, "Thanks, but don't worry about Casper. I got more of them, and they don't feel nothin."
Then he turns to the open door. As others enter, he follows Detecting Magic, sweeping the interior as he goes.
Taking 10 on his Knowledge Arcana for the schools of magic involved would be 22 vs. DC is 15 + spell level or 1/2 caster level for non-spell effect. Taking 10 on Spellcraft check to identify any magical properties would be 29 vs. DC is 15 + item's caster level.
Isaac Harker (Justin M) HP 67/67 AC25/ T13 / FF 22 Thursday November 23rd, 2023 9:00:30 PM
Once the door is open Isaac will make his way inside using his sense to try and locate any evil inside the house. "Why would there be such a strong spell trap here? Especially one with a warning?" Isaac draws his sword praying that the Abbot had not become sort of monster.
Urist (AC19, HP: 57 of 61) (Cayzle) Thursday November 23rd, 2023 11:58:41 PM
Urist blushes at Snark's comment and is too embarrassed to reply. She casts fly and flies thru the doorway with everybody else.
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