With a great heave, Joryn smashes the stained glass window of the three-headed Balor demon. The shield protects him from the shards of glass that rain down about the Vryloka cavalier. You are all prepared for something horrific to happen, but nothing does.Once the glass settles, you see an 10' square alcove behind the the window in which a gibbet hangs. A jawless skeleton sits inside the gibbet, Abyssal runes burnt onto its skull. A ring that hangs from a silver chain around its neck.
Ambrose and Lohmi both can tell that the epic evocation magic they sensed earlier is coming from the ring!Good Luck!
MilwaukeeJoe
"Well, that was an anticlimax" says Finding, looking up at the open alcove. "Not that I'm complaining."
ReplyDelete"I wonder what would have happened if we'd pulled the lever instead?" She clambers up to join Joryn on the alter to get a better look inside. "Poor fellow," she says indicating the skeleton, "I wonder if he knew this is how he'd end up?"
Tech: Perception +9, Thievery +8
Pausing with baited breath for a fiend to attack, Ambrose relaxes with a large exhale when nothing does advance against the group. He didn't realize he had held his breath. Moving forward to investigate the exposed alcove, the mage consults with Lohmi and the others.
ReplyDelete"So the ring has the epic magic eminating from it. Lohmi let's combine our acane talents to aid one another to deduce additional information from these items."
"Can anyone determine if these items are tainted like the others we found? I can help and see what I can figure out."
OOC:
Are there abyssal runes on the goblet or ring?
Are there magic eminating from the skull or goblet?
Any additional information gleened from the items?
Arcana checks +11, Religion checks +6
Ambrose will help out the better searchers too.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
perception +3
Joryn kicks bits of glass and winces.
ReplyDelete"Well that could have been significantly worse."
He steps down from the altar and makes space for the mages and other arcanists to investigate the gibbet.
"I know nothing of these magics. Let me know if you have need of my strength."
Joryn proceeds to pace within the room.
OOC: It's "gibbet" (not goblet) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbet
ReplyDeleteQ: Are there abyssal runes on the gibbet or ring?
ReplyDeleteA: No, just the skull of the skeleton
Q: Are there magic emanating from the skull or gibbet?
A: No, not that you can sense.
Q: Any additional information gleaned from the items?
A: Nothing comes to mind.
"Well we're about done with this chamber, should we take a short rest before continuing on?" Ambrose asks the others while carefully handing and studying the ring.
ReplyDeleteThen to Finding, with a smirk, "Okay by me if you pull the other lever. Don't get frost bite on your fingers."
Tharl has seen enough corruption and death. Striding forward he raises his morning star and smashes the gibbet, letting the corpse of the unfortunate soul fall to the ground.
ReplyDelete"Any trap that this was part of is now disarmed."
OOC: When we do determine what the ring is about, I suggest gathering up the incense and taking an extended rest. I, for one, am out of daily powers and almost out of surges.
Lohmi carefully examines the runes, trying to see if he can determine their purpose. "I am unable to determine the nature of this magic item."
ReplyDeleteOOC: Examining the runes (I can still read Abyssal, yeah!) Hopefully before Tharl smashes them, we can glean some information on them. If they look dangerous, Lohmi will restrain Tharl.
"No, I don't think I really want to handle the lever," Finding says to Ambrose. "I thought if I could see a mechanism of some sort at this end it might give us some idea about what this poor creature is here for, and what he means as part of this whole set up."
ReplyDeleteJoryn's eyes go wide as Tharl smashes into the gibbet!
ReplyDelete"Now that was unexpected. Why don't we try and lasso that second lever? That way we could try and pull it and be assured of a safe distance."
Joryn mutters under his breath. "I'd still like to get my hands on that silvery skull."
The gibbet does not collapse at Tharl's smash, it seems rather well built in fact. Possibly a few more blows to it would get through, if that's your aim. Let me know.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Any updates on what Finding may/may not see about the effects of the lever at this end?
ReplyDeleteOOC: No updates for Finding.
ReplyDeleteFinding steps down from the altar, leaving Tharl to his smashing.
ReplyDelete"I can't see anything of interest to me up there, but if anyone wants my assistance with the lever, I'm happy to help."
Before exiting the alcove, she carefully pockets a few of the larger shards of glass from the shattered panel.
(OOC: If anyone wants Finding's help with the first lever in any capacity, feel free, but know that she won't purposefully touch it with bare hands.)
"Lohmi, watch out for me." As he says that, Ambrose slips the ring on his finger. Nothing quicker to find what the ring does than putting it on. He deduced with his supreme elven intellect that it was guarded not to endanger any visitors but from the evil shrine itself.
ReplyDeleteOf course he could be wrong. ...
The moment Ambrose touches the ring, a horrific thing happens. The skeleton laughs and disappears in a wash of crimson sparks... and then another skeleton appears in it's place, a different one... and the ring is still there, around the new skeleton's neck.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose collapses to the ground in an odd way, as if his body no longer has a skeleton to hold it up...
Ambrose is not breathing.
As Ambrose collapses, he finds he can't yell out a warning, but manages to think 'oooops!' before the darkness seals his fate.
ReplyDeleteLohmi watches Ambrose, sword held at the ready in case something happened. Lohmi's eyes widen in horror as events unfold. With terrified eyes, he examines the new skeleton. Was it Ambrose's?!
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed as Lohmi suspects, oh the horror...
ReplyDeleteTharl stops in the middle of his second swing to gape at Ambrose's limp form. What horrible evil is this?!
ReplyDeleteQuietly he says "Does anyone have any of that disenchanting water from the font left?"
Looking down at his fallen form, Ambrose had always wonder what death would feel like. He never in his wild forested dreams thought he would have the urge to limbo.
ReplyDeleteVondal would do something but is uncertain of what ... (DM help!)
ReplyDeleteOOC: There's the unpulled lever, the skeleton/ring trap, and the doors leading north. What you do now is up to you.
ReplyDeleteVondal decides upon pulling the level, hoping it does something good.
ReplyDeleteVondal strides up to the untouched lever and pulls it boldly.
ReplyDeleteWith a grinding sound, the wall behind the gibbet is opened, revealing a small niche lit by flickering red candles.
Floating among the candles is an finely crafted urn! The details of the urn are blocked by the gibbet, but you can easily bypass the gibbet without touching it to get to the urn...
"Whoa!" What is this!" Vondal says loudly .. "Hey everyone, look at that urn floating amidst the candles! Gotta be important!"
ReplyDelete(OOC: I don't recall reading anyone collecting any of the water, so it should all be there...)
ReplyDeleteFinding screams as she watches Ambrose's flesh thud in a pile. It takes her a while to regain her composure, so she just stands, shocked, as Vondal pulls the lever revealing the niche behind the gibbet.
Hearing Tharl's question - "Does anyone have any of that disenchanting water from the font left?" - she swallows as she regains her voice. "I'll get some."
She drinks what she can of her own water flask, and pours the rest onto the ground before refilling it with the water from the font. Carefully, she climbs back up the altar and, with much care not to touch anything but floors and walls, pours the water over the ring as it hangs from the skeleton.
The water pours over the ring but has no effect; the ring is epic tier power.
ReplyDeleteBut then the solution comes to Finding (trained in Arcana)... but the cost might be more than you want to pay.
If you touch the skeleton, you will restore Ambrose skeleton to his body... but YOUR skeleton will take his place!
OOC: Let me be clear. If you choose to restore Ambrose, YOU will be dead and temporarily out of the game.
Upon reaching the realisation, Finding shouts it out to the others, and, backing away from the skeleton, leaps down from the alcove.
ReplyDeleteTharl looks around the bone covered floor of the chamber, but can find no intact skeletons.
ReplyDelete"I wonder if quasits have proper skeletons", he mumbles. Picking up one of the quasit corpses he returns to the alcove and carefully tosses the quasit corpse at the ring while saying a prayer to the spirits for success.
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ReplyDeleteTharl's idea might have been a good try, but it is not good enough. Nothing happens.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Hope everyone had a good Independence Day (for those in the US). Moving forward, is there anything you still want to do in this chamber, or do you want to end the encounter and head to "Chamber 2 Finale" (the page I write that has the points scored, options available for extended rest, and a sneak peak into Chamber 3)?
ReplyDeleteI'm on vacation, but may have occasional access.
Tharl examines the urn, being careful to look but not touch.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I think we need to investigate the urn, but Tharl doesn't have the best arcana skill.
Joryn shakes his head and mutters softly.
ReplyDelete"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this."
We sheathes his sword and takes off his shield and he kneels down on the ground in the center of the room almost in a meditative position. He puts both hands on his knees and leans forward touching his face to the ground and red smoke begins to coalesce around him. It seems to be coming from his very pores and the pungent smell of sulphur fills the air. Joryn cries out as this red mist pours out from him and surges upward taking a humanoid shape, which lands on the ground next to him. A foul creature of the Abyss stands in the space before you, but as Joryn stands again, staggered slightly, the creature kneels before the paladin?!?
"What do you wish of me, boss?" the creature belts out in a wheezing tone filled with corruption. It tilts its head upward in what you think is a smile.
"Simple thing, Ryth," Joryn sneers out of gritted teeth, "go get me that ring." Joryn's gestures vaguely to the ring in the cage above.
"Really? That simple? As always, your wish is my command, boss." You think you hear a sarcastic gurgling laugh from the demon's wicked grin as it lumbers to the dangling gibbet, eyeing the rest of the party as it moves. As it passes the Tiefling artificer, it gives her a leering wink.
The demon reaches the gibbet and squeezes a maul like fist into the cage to grasp the ring.
Joryn grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut, not entirely sure what his connection to the demon will mean now.
As soon as the demon touches the ring, it takes Ambrose' place in the trap! The demon vanishes in a flash of fire, and it's skeleton is now in the gibbet.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose suddenly takes a deep breath, his skeleton returned to him. He is alive once more.
Joryn partially collapses from pain when this happens, but recovers after a few moments.
Tech: Joryn loses a healing surge, per the rules of when your demon dies. There may be further ramifications that will be revealed later. Ambrose is back and alive.
Tharl isn't sure what the urn is, but Lohmi recognizes it as a:
MYSTIC URN
Level 5 Rare (50 gp)
An ankh has been inlaid into this slate gray urn traced in gold. Inside, the ashes of a cremated hero glow with healing magic.
Power (Consumable • Healing): Minor
Action. Swallow the ashes. Regain all lost hit points.
OOC: Assuming you take the Mystic Urn, anything you want to do here, or move on to Chamber 3?
ReplyDelete"Well done Joryn. I hope the cost to you is minimal. Perhaps it would be wise to rest and regain our strength here for a while before moving on."
ReplyDeleteOOC: I recommend an extended rest here. I am out of daily powers and very low on surges. I'll go for whatever the group wants.
Joryn winces and stretches out his arms. "I'm not sure I can do that again. Perhaps we should take the mage and get out of here for a night's rest. I am still feeling hearty, but if enough of our group are injured, perhaps it is not safe to rest here for the night. Besides, perhaps we can find a new blade for Lohmi in town."
ReplyDeleteOOC: I'm cool staying in the dungeon and adventuring forward (TONS of surges left, kinda my job), but if the healer is wiped (and the mage kinda died) we should perhaps grab some sleepy sleep.