Book One: Chapter Four: "Plots Unearthed"

Davin does just that, using his speed and dexterity as his allies (i'll spend an Action Point if needed).

Initiative=26
Thievery=24
Thievery=30

-Swift

Swifthand wrote:Davin does just that, using his speed and dexterity as his allies (i'll spend an Action Point if needed).
Initiative=26
Thievery=24
Thievery=30

Davin jumps back, just in time to avoid the wash of flame that extrudes from the two remaining nozzles. As the flame dissipates, Davin rushes back in and starts disabling nozzles again; but he has trouble with it. Working as quickly as he can,* he gets the second nozzle clogged just before third spits all over him.** Having suffered serious burns, he begins working on the third nozzle.***

* Spending an AP
** 17 Fire Damage and an Ongoing 5 Fire (Save Ends).
*** Will need more Thievery rolls, it seems.

Davin: HP 39/61; AC 21 Fort 19 Ref 22 Will 21; Healing Surges=7/8 Action Points=0
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Hound: HP 92/105; AC 20 Fort 17 Ref 17 Will 15; Healing Surges=5/8 Action Points=2

Davin takes 5 ongoing.
Davin attempts to clog the last nozzle,
Thievery=21
and fails, but moves out of the blast.
Save=19

As soon as the flames recede, the Ranger jumps back in, finally managing to clog the last nozzle.
Thievery=30

-Swift

Davin wrote:Davin takes 5 ongoing.
Davin attempts to clog the last nozzle,
Thievery=21
and fails, but moves out of the blast.
Save=19

As soon as the flames recede, the Ranger jumps back in, finally managing to clog the last nozzle.
Thievery=30

With the third nozzle finally clogged, Davin is safe from the fiery spew; but he notices the nozzles on the other door are still spitting fire, at the same regular intervals. But over here, he's safe.

He begins feeling around for some means of opening this door, and discovers a small key hole, hidden in the stone about a foot beneath the nozzles. Davin gets to work picking the lock, and eventually gets it open.*

A narrow dark staircase climbs into the darkness behind the secret door.

That's 233 XPs; bringing everyone to 15,946.
*Given enough time, he'll get it eventually. No need to roll..

Davin heads back to the party and explains what happened.

"Can anyone spare any healing? I kind of got myself cooked."

"At any rate, I think that is where we have to go...the stairs lead down. So, have you found out any more about the glyph?"



-Swift

"Tyrol, gliv na elbe malin il senem e Alex brakim al tribenin?" (Cousin, did you do that yourself or did it happen when Alex rubbed off the glyph?) "You'll be alright, just make sure the fire is out first next time. What did you find?" He smirks at Davin and checks to make sure the wounds aren't too serious.

O.O.C.: Davin can spend a healing surge and regain HP plus an additional 2d6 (Warlord- Inspiring Word).

"Inta da fire ye wents ye crazed elf? Sure me follows . . ."

OOC: Does Vangg and Juugug know of these secrets?

Vangg wrote:OOC: Does Vangg and Juugug know of these secrets?

Yes, they do.

A series of cavern complexes runs under the Bitten Peaks, connecting the Cave Temple to the Dwarven Halls. But the path is dangerous; wrought with steep climbs and rocky chasms, rife with aggressive flora and fauna, and inhabited by dire entities.

Nonetheless, it sounds like the Dwarves have marched here by that path (and have since taken up residence in the old chapel).

But, the motley priests of the Cave Temple knew of secret tunnels that run parallel to the main cavern complex; but those were even more dangerous. They have never been fully explored, and the Dwarves might not even know of them.

Tulgaarnuk and a handful of others explored those tunnels, but only for so many miles; the way proved too dangerous. Evidence suggested that the Dwarves of yore once knew of them, but sealed them off for whatever reason ... sealed them off to be forgotten by the annals of history.

Rinh thought it would be wise to prevent others from coming or going by means of those tunnels; so he asked Tulgaarnuk (the Trapmaster) to trap the way. Now, the first few miles are filled with deadly traps, secret doors, and other obstacles. After that, however, it's anyone's guess.

Vangg and Juugug may have seen some of these halls, but not all of them. And they definitely don't know them well. Still, this knowledge should allow them to avoid some of the traps altogether, and will provide a circumstance bonus to a variety of rolls.

Davin: HP 61/61; AC 21 Fort 19 Ref 22 Will 21; Healing Surges=6/8, SV:15, Action Points=0
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Hound: HP 92/105; AC 20 Fort 17 Ref 17 Will 15; Healing Surges=5/8 SV:26, Action Points=2

"So, the glyph had nothing to do with the zombies and was actually healing magic? And you think it had something to do with your vision, Verity?"

"Sorry, I guess I was way off on the zombie idea, guys."

"Is the statue some effigy of the Queen? Could the statue have been with child?"

Davin closely inspects the "womb" area of the statue, looking for any signs of pregnancy, or anything unnatural or natural.

Nature=36
Surge+IW=25

-Swift

Davin examines the statue, but it's difficult to tell; partly because she's a statue, partly because she's a skeletal angel, and partly because of the shredded garb she is wearing ... but, she does seem to have a slight bulge around the lower belly area (right behind the glyph).

In that case, the glyph may have been keeping the baby alive (implying, of course, that the statue was once alive).

"Hmm...I think she was pregnant!"

Davin takes out his pick (aka his short sword) and begin to chip away at the statue's womb.

-Swift

Davin further damages his blade by chipping stone with it yet again. Before long, the belly of the statue is broken away, revealing a small hollow cavity within. A fetal skeleton, almost the size of a grown man, rests snuggly inside it.

"Verity! Guys! Give me a hand with this!"

-Swift

The heroes work together to free the unusual skeleton from the stoney chords that keep it attached to the statue; and then Verity pulls the thing out, cradled in his arms, until he can set it tenderly on the floor.

It looks like a skeletal cherub; it's skull face and raven wings resembling those of it's mother. But it's certianly dead.

The servants of the Queen (Vangg, Juugug, Verity) check the thing for signs of life. They find none, but the infant is still warm, indicating that the death was recent.

Vangg tries to gather some knowledge from the event at hand.

Religion - Roll = 26 (17+9)

I will aid Vangg.

Religion=17

-Swift

Juugug aids also ...

Vangg realizes that the "statue" is actually a REAL angel of death, but she was somehow turned to stone (and since the Dwarves were led here by Earthmages, he has a pretty good guess about who did this to her). However it happened, she must have been "with child" and used that rune to protect the baby from petrification (and to keep it alive).

Most dieties have angel servants. The angels of the Queen are "angels of death," though there are many types. (Despite their skeletal appearance, these beings are NOT undead; the Queen hates the undead, after all).

Probably, what happened, is the Queen sent this angel to punish the Dwarves who violated her temple; but the angel failed in her mission.

DC 20: The Queen sends angels of death for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, She sends them merely to deliver messages, and othertime she sends them to warn or even punish those who have transgressed against her.

DC 25: Influential members of the clergy can use a ritual to call forth the Queen's wrath in the form of one of these angels.

Keywords: Huge, Immortal, Humanoid, Angel
Powers: Scythe of Vengeance, Wings of Retribution, Pillar of Salt.
Resistances/Immunities: Disease, Fear, Cold, Necrotic, Poison.

OOC: Also, you might want to check out Verity's vision.
Verity believes this is related to his vision, but I leave that interpretation up to y'all.

"Uhh...maybe we should resurrect it? Straegis knows that ritual..."

-Swift

Posting for Mack, because he won't be able to post today ...

Straegis explains that he does, in fact, know that ritual ... but it is time consuming and expensive (500 gp, 8 hours). Nonetheless, if everyone think it's the best course of action, then he'll be happy to lead the ritual (and asks for help from all the competent ritual casters in th party).

Vangg pulls his water skin out and washes his hands.

"Me 'ands be not an tainted in da death o' dis Angel o' da Queen. Me bethinks, nigh . . . me beknows . . . da Queen hath sent dis servant ta punish da Earthbugger dwarfs fer der blasphemation o' da Temples. Dat an rune kept 'er offsprung live whencehaps da dwarfs turneth 'er inta da stonelife."

Vangg turns to Verity, "Recaps ye vision unto us Holy Knight o' da Ravens . . . it be we duty ta fulfill dat whence da Angel 'ere hath been disarmed fromstance accomplishin'."

"Mayhaps take dis rituals ta an safer place?"

"I agree - 8 hours is too long to be exposed here. Let's take it into the secret corridor I found, close it behind us, and perform the ritual down there. These zombies are not going anywhere; we can take care of them later."

Accepting any aid, Davin wraps the skeletal corpse and makes ready to depart. Then I lead the party to the secret door, obscuring any evidence of our being there. Once we are all safely in the secret passage, I close the secret door securely behind me, removing the stoppers on the nozzle trap before I do.

"Let's get casting."

-Swift

OOC: Any chance of adding this ritual to Vangg's collection while it takes place?

DM EDIT: Sure, you could copy and learn it while it's being cast (either by copying it while others are casting it, or learning it "hands on" while your helping. (There's no actual roll involved, so helping doesn't actually give a +2 in this bonus; so either way). Note: it requires 680 gp worth of materials to copy it into your ritual book.

Alex follows the group, whichever way they choose to go. He is a little disturbed by the effects of removing the glyph, and its placement, and even more disturbed by its lack of undead-shattering.

A chill quivers down his spine. "I think someone just stepped on my gave."

He is further disturbed by battling both a necromancer, and an undead in the cave mouth. It has just hit him now how foul the necrotic energies actually felt. And to watch as the body reassembled to form some tool for an arcanist...well...it hardly bares thinking about.

He calms himself by reciting a few arcane formula. Strange words falling from his lips. Then his mind turns to Katrina. His eyes glaze over as he stares into space.

"I hope...erm. It...is...err...ok. Allow me to help with the ritual." He sets his bag down in the hallway and takes out a few herbs.

--------------------------
I'll pay for it, if I can. I have 940gp worth of ritual components currently, however, I do believe they are for 'arcane' rituals only.

The simple fisherman, a hardened soldier, nonetheless shudders as the impact of what's transpired sinks in.

"Noo tha's a poor way tae show yuir devotion, methinks, slayin' tha' kin o' yuir goddess. Does any o' ye' 'ave a torch?" says he, squinting into the pitch black before him.

OOC: take up point in front of the others, blindly hefting his net.