Book One: Chapter Four: "Plots Unearthed"

magicspellz12 wrote:Alex's eyes widen as he hears 'our first translator died' he takes a slight step back. Then looks at Mordax as he steps back again. "It seems tradition that it should be you who is the bravest." He says to Mordax, referring to his plummet from the skies after the trebuchet destruction, as he eyes the stout warrior.

Then his eyes narrow, "Unless, of course, the door attacks in an odd way. Tell me dwarf. How did your translator die? A storm of fire perhaps? A flash of dark energy, or something else?"

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I'm trying to find out basically which defense the door is attacking through guess work. Even though Mordax probably has the most hit points, it might be better if Straegis or Verity took the hit if it was likely to be vs. Will. Any also, we may be able to engineer some sort of resistance too.

Did Alex's detect magic reveal any specific kind of energy?
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"Of course, I can prepare the language comprehension ritual immediately if we think we need to."

He eyes the dwarf once more. "We could always let him do it. He's expendable; is he not?" This is a rather dark thing for Alex to be saying, but his trust for dwarves has been greatly shattered, and his mind has entered darker realms since his encounter with the glyph, or perhaps its just residual nastiness from listening to the various people intimidating him during the questioning.

"Or, perhaps we could try from further away, with a pair of mage hands?" He holds his hands out, moisture collects within seconds and the familiar ghostly gloves of water wrap his hands soon. He withdraws his fingers and they float towards the door.

"Lets see if this works. Stand back everyone. Now Straegis. Which runes should I press?"

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Mage hand
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Alex retreats as far as possible from the door. Glancing at the dwarf once or twice with some sort of mild amusement. He chuckles as his hands revolve through their motions in the air, controlling the ghostly ones across the room as he taps out the rooms.

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Of course, only if Straegis will tell him which to press, and the group agree's that this experimental method is a good idea.

The Witch-King wrote:Speaking softly, the grizzled old veteran says "Tha' las' riddle e'ry soldier knows all tae well."

"When one does not know it, it is something; when one knows it, it is nothing. Tha' answer is fear."

Malazek wrote:

Alex wrote:Then his eyes narrow, "Unless, of course, the door attacks in an odd way. Tell me dwarf. How did your translator die? A storm of fire perhaps? A flash of dark energy, or something else?"

Bound and gagged, the prisoner is unable to answer. "Hmph, Hmph," he mumbles.

Alex wrote:Did Alex's detect magic reveal any specific kind of energy?

OOC: No; Arcana doesn't work that way. When you "Sense the Presence of Magic" it really only tells you if magic is within your range (your range is 14 squares), it doesn't tell you what that magic does.

In order to identify a kind of magical energy, you need to "Identify Magical Effect," which requires you to first witness the effect in some way. So far, I've been pretty lenient on exactly what this means, but in this case, I don't think Alex has any evidence to go off of.

Though, he might be able to garner such evidence with a good perception roll (by examining the surrounding area for signs of what the trap might do).

DM EDIT: See Below.

Alex wrote:"Or, perhaps we could try from further away, with a pair of mage hands?"

OOC: I think that's a wise plan.

Swifthand wrote:Davin assists Alex around the door looking for evidence of the trap's effects.

Perception=36 (Invisible Castle was down)

-Swift

Malazek wrote:

Davin wrote:Davin assists Alex around the door looking for evidence of the trap's effects.
Perception=36

Davin checking the floor and walls for any indication of what the trap might do ... but he finds no scorch marks, no blood splatters, no water stains, no impact points. He does find a lot of cracks in the stone, as well as curious amount of fine sand-like rubble. In fact, the rubble is SO fine, and there's so much of it, that it can only be the result of sustained vibration. But ... that's ALL he finds.

Alex wrote:Did Alex's detect magic reveal any specific kind of energy?

DM wrote:In order to identify a kind of magical energy, you need to ... first witness the effect in some way ... by examining the surrounding area for signs of what the trap might do.

With the information supplied by Davin, Alex quickly relates that effect with the thunderous boom of the first door's trap ... the lack of any other evidence convinces Alex that all three doors must rely on the same kind of attack.

OOC: It's a Sonic Blast that targets Fortitude.

magicspellz12 wrote:"Right. Well, stand back everyone, lets see if this works."

Alex taps out Zyran with his mage hands and uses them to twist the valve (if they're strong enough: 20lbs).

macksgarageusa wrote:Straegis motions everyone back further and steps up next to Alex carefully directing him to the letters he thinks are correct. He reminds everyone that he is still not completely sure which of the two words are right, but he has a hunch it is the second one.

O.O.C.: If we agree, Straegis will point out the letters for Alex's Mage Hand to spell Zyran.

Halcyon wrote:Verity wears a seaching look, then it passes.Quietly he speaks.
"No, there really is no tactful way to say this.
"Straegis, perhaps you best write down the other word, in case you die in the blast. Ahem. Not likely of course. Certainly you're in the right company should it happen." He nods to his fellow servants of the Queen. " He he."
"As for the other riddle, Mordax, I still feel the answer be 'a secret'. Your answer of 'fear' is true for the likes of we, but a fearful man is likely to believe the opposite, and for him the opposite be true. A secret is no longer a secret when it be known, no matter who know it."

Verity raises his shield defensively and mutters a short prayer.

OCC: Hey Mal- Verity could aid Straegis with the intelligence check by having heard a bit of Ioharic in his travels and retained a couple words.

magicspellz12 wrote:As Alex absent mindedly taps in the letters as directed by Straegis.

151prooftattoos wrote:Vangg grips his cloak tightly.

Minor: Activate Cloak Daily Power: Resist 5 All Damage

Malazek wrote:

Straegis wrote:Straegis will point out the letters for Alex's Mage Hand to spell "Zyran."

Alex wrote:Alex taps out "Zyran" with his mage hands and uses them to twist the valve

With a popping sound, the door across the hall opens, just a crack.

200 XPs Each (18,397 total, now).

magicspellz12 wrote:Alex smiles. "Well...that wasn't too difficult." His ghost hands land on the floor with a splash. He begins to take a step forward, but then hangs back, wrinkling his nose and tucking stray strange of white-blue hair behind his ears as the party move forward. He folds his hands back into his robes and shuffles down the corridoor, with a casual flick of a hand at the doorway he removes the puddle of water from the floor and returns it to the air.

macksgarageusa wrote:Straegis breathes a sigh of relief and then turns to Davin and says, "Can you reset the trap to make it harder for us to be followed? Also, are we still on the correct path of our quarry? If so, and it still looks as though we are lagging further behind, then perhaps now is indeed the time to prepare the sending ritual. Aside from telling him who you three are, where we are, and maybe asking him to wait, I don't have too many suggestions for the message."
Whether they need reagents or just assistance, Straegis will aid in any way he can with the sending ritual.

Arcana(to assist): 1d20=1+15(s)=16 (bah, 1! maybe I won't be helping after all! )

Halcyon wrote:"Yes Straegis we best get to a place of safety and send the sending.
"Vangg, Juggug here's my last go. If you lack the good sense to like it then tell us why. Ahem.
"Da Queen didn't want yer wee bitty lickspittle kobold git arse? Verity, Juggug nor Vangg neither. Approach from riddle chamber with comrades. Sit on it."

151prooftattoos wrote:Vangg grins at Verity and holds his hand in the air to Juugug.

"Hey der, youngin' . . . betaketh an note from an Sharptongue master . . . let's sendeth dis 'ere:

'Dumbeth Initiate Kobold - Ye High Elders: Vangg, Stanky Go'bin, an' Clumfilled 'uman befollow ye. Bring ye stenchy 'ide ta lamed Riddle Doors ye make.'

"An' 'fores ye cuts in w' ye foul breaths Go'bin, simples an' sweets . . . dat what us should an sendeths."

Swifthand wrote:"Well done."

Davin heads to the now unlocked door and closes it shut.

"This is definitely the way he went, tyrol. Lets go back in the last chamber where we know we are safe, and cast our Sending."

Davin will tie a length of rope to Snorri and then tie the other end to a free loop on Hound's armour, allowing Hound to lead the bound, gagged, and blindfolded dwarf behind us.

-Swift

Malazek wrote:OOC: So ...

You guys are going to cast Sending, and then repeat the process for opening the door, and then continue on following whoever it is you've been tracking? Okay.

What's the message, then?
Who's casting it?
Don't forget to subtract the components..

magicspellz12 wrote:Alex sets up for the sending ritual. Pulling from his bag dozens of familiar bottles, powders and herbs. "So...We have 25 words. Who is it going to and what will it say?" Alex looks at Davin, who seems to have the firmest hand on things at the moment.

He sits crosslegged on the floor, his spellbook propped open on an unused pestle as he begins to flick through packets of various powders. Finding one he agree's with, he opens up the paper packet by breaking a little wax seal and adds it to a clear glass vial with a flick of spatula. He forms a magehand from a glove of water absent mindedly, and after he has added some green liquid to the purple powder in the vial, he gives it to the hand to shake up for a minute.

He beams at Davin.

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50gp has been subtracted from Alex's supply.

Swifthand wrote:

macksgarageusa wrote:Straegis breathes a sigh of relief and then turns to Davin and says, "Can you reset the trap to make it harder for us to be followed?

O.O.C. - Oops, missed this! Sorry, I wasn't ignoring you!

"The traps reset by themselves. The Dwarves have not been able to penetrate them thus far, so I think we will be safe. However, I will hide our tracks in the hall before we leave."

After everyone has moved beyond the "Secret" riddle door, I will hide our tracks, Perception (take 10)=31.

magicspellz12 wrote:Alex sets up for the sending ritual. Pulling from his bag dozens of familiar bottles, powders and herbs. "So...We have 25 words. Who is it going to and what will it say?" Alex looks at Davin, who seems to have the firmest hand on things at the moment.

"Well, all we want to convey is that we are behind him at the riddle door, and we want to meet up with him. Vanng thought that if we act "nice", Talgarmuk would think it is a trap." Davin shrugs.

"Vanng, Juugug, Verity, and companions have bested your traps to the "Secret" riddle door; now move beyond. Return via that path, reunite the brothers Rihn."

"It's about the same thing everyone has said, and 25 words exactly. Let's send it and move on."

-Swift

macksgarageusa wrote:When Alex finishes the Sending Ritual, Straegis hands him 25 gp. to cover half the cost of reagents, then in agreement with Davin he says, "Ok, so we should get going now, hopefully he gets our message and either waits or doubles back." Straegis then digs in his pack and gets out some water and a good size chunk of smoked fish. He takes a few drinks and offers some to Azzy, he breaks the fish in half and shares it with the death angel.

O.O.C.: Is this tunnel close to the same size as the others?

Malazek wrote:"Hmph." Juugug grunts at Davin's version.

But since Alex is the one casting it, Davin's version is the one that get sent: "Vanng, Juugug, Verity, and companions have bested your traps to the "Secret" riddle door; now move beyond. Return via that path, reunite the brothers Rihn."

Ten minutes later, the party is on the move again. Using the same keys, they re-open the door and head-on through it (pulling Snorri along behind them). Davin diguises all signs of their passage, and sees a flicker of approaching torch light as he's pulling the door shut behind them.

Straegis wrote:O.O.C.: Is this tunnel close to the same size as the others?

Yes.

Behind the silence-door, a shadowy tunnel of similiar width and construction stretches on another hundred yards or so ... to where it meets a wide marble staircase that descends into the depth and darkness of the earth's bowels.

OOC: Before I continue, I'll wait and see if/how you guys are going to react to the torchlight out in the hall ... or if you're going to press-on while the opportunity exists.

151prooftattoos wrote:Vangg shakes his head.

"Da Kobold be flee away froms us now. An trap 'e smell w' dat der message an' what nots."

The dwarf raises his eyebrows and looks to Juugug.

Swifthand wrote:"Then let's hope his curiosity gets the better of him."

Stooping low in the doorway, I clean up the last of the tracks just as the light approaches. Standing and turning, I look at each of my companions and hold a finger to my lips as I silently close the Riddle Door.

Stealth (take 10)=26

O.O.C. - I say we move on! If we do, normal scouting technique.

-Swift

The Witch-King wrote:OOC: Agreed.

macksgarageusa wrote:O.O.C.: I agree also, lets close the door on whoever/whatever it is and move out of earshot for the sending ritual. Then I say we haul a** !

Malazek wrote:The wide staircase descends to seemingly impossible depths, which proves to be slightly disorienting (well, to everyone but Vangg); nonetheless, the party walks deeper and deeper down the stairs, with few problems.

As they approach the bottom, nearly half an hour later, they hear voices coming up from below. The first is a deep rumbling voice, speaking in broken Commontongue. "Dis be stoopid. Me can't see nuthin.' I'ma gonna lite me torch."

To which, another (much more faint) voice responds "Shut your mouth, Kersh! If you even think about lighting a fire, I'll shred you to ribbons!"

"Ye an' wut army?"

A gravelling voice interjects, "Bolth o' yas, SHUT UP! Someone's comin'."

"It's just Madibula. If you'd open your eyes ..."

"That's ..."
"Me eyes BE open! Id be blacker n' night down 'ere."

"Click, clack, clackety, click".

"Dat's what I'm tellin' 'em! Dere's someone else comin' ... nine someones."

And then ...

... silence.

The Witch-King wrote:OOC: I presume we still have a torch lit?

Halcyon wrote:Make that nine someones with telepathy.
Verity says aloud,"Hail travelers, indeed we be nine pilgrims braving these dank corridors in service.to the gods. And who might you be?"

Minor: one heart one mind gives our group telepathy range 20
Free: speak, diplomacy 35
Standard: ready beacon foe attack against any aggressor