 |
| Lit braziers bathe the archway in an eerie glow. |
Nevdor looks to his left just as Bhareg approaches from the south. You both see three identical pedestals of pure white stone. Each has a slight indentation on its top surface, not quite a bowl... much shallower than that. They are free of dust. Bhareg can sense an importance about these small pedestals, but what their purpose are is a mystery.
Nevdor and Bhareg can also get a better view of the statues in the northeast and northwest corners. Both statues are hewn in the likeness of a whip-scarred human. The braziers are traced in baroque patterns and burn red hot.Then something catches Nevdor's eye... he was avoiding the gems that were encrusted in the pillars, but what of a loose gem? Indeed, he has found it. A skeleton, laying near a pillar, holds a beautiful fist-sized diamond in its bony grip! Probably worth a thousand gold pieces, easy! This skeleton is covered with a strange green tinge, however...
Finally, last but not least... the northwest corner contains one more stairway exit, with the final symbol - of Lyth.
OOC: You might be wondering when I sometimes place new posts and sometimes just do comments to existing ones... Usually, if I get the idea for imagery to combine with the post, I do a new one. Like today with the archway.
To reiterate, the symbols on the exits are:
- Southwest: Asar-Segt
- Northwest: Lyth
- Northeast: Kishar
- Southeast: Kotaresh
Good Luck!
MilwaukeeJoe
I've been eagerly following the C1 posts, thanks for shedding some insights into your method, ie. when you post vs. when you comment. Very helpful!
ReplyDeleteNevdor will pry the gem from the skeletons hand, and pocket it for now.
ReplyDeleteOOC:
Any chance my rogue can read lips (Here's hoping its in common or elven!) on the mural? Perception/Insight +5
[Nevdor]
ReplyDeleteNevdor pockets the diamond, but not after the liquid on the gem burns through his gloves and burns his hand a bit.
Tech: 2 points of acid damage, leaving Nevdor at 24 hp (of 26) and 8 healing surges.
After the gem incident, Nevdor joins Tak-tha in studying the mural. Since the figures in the mural are saying the same phrase over and over, it's easier to read their lips to discern the words...
DIE AND DIE
AND DIE AGAIN,
WE'LL DROWN THIS WORLD
BEFORE NIGHT'S END
OOC: I'm assuming everyone is sharing automatically what they see and find out as checks are done?
ReplyDelete[Tak-tha]
Tak-tha feels himself almost being drawn in the portal before he shakes his head and takes a few steps away, regaining control over himself. It seems obvious that the four figures in the mural are representations of the four gods. And there's four passageways, each marked by one of their symbols.
"Well, it seems we have to complete 4 trials, one for each of the gods." Tak-tha approaches the entrance to Kotaresh's area. "Which one shall we go for first?"
Tech
Move a couple squares down to get away from the mural
Usual checks of Per +11, Nat +11, Dun +9 around the entrance for any traps or clues as to what's to come
[Tak-tha]
ReplyDeleteTak-tha examines the southeast stairway with the symbol of Kotaresh above it. No traps that he can detect, but wait a moment... the light from one of the torches shines oddly on a portion of the southern wall, within the stairway...
A SECRET DOOR!
OOC: Secret door is a few squares into the stairs, just off the map near L11.
[Bhareg]
ReplyDeleteBhareg glances up from his study of the pedestals. "A secret door? What was it that was repeated over and over in the Tome of the Crucible? Riches... treasure... Fortune! Fortune awaits in the secret chamber of the great hub!"
As he walks towards the stairway, Bhareg gestures at the columns. "These treasures and riches are unlikely to be useful unless we succeed tonight. But - unknown fortune may help us in our quest." He looks darkly at the black scales that cover his hands. "Or it may not. Be prepared for anything."
[Tak-tha]
ReplyDelete"Mmm, possibly," Tak-tha mutters with a click. "It's also likely that taking the jewel caused that one to suffer as we see them now." With nothing else catching his entrance, Tak-tha proceeds up the stairs, attempting to find a way to open the door.
Tech
I'll let someone with training in Athletics (hint for someone that hasn't posted yet if they want something to do) try to force it open. Tak-tha can loan a crowbar out if needed.
Meanwhile, usual checks to see if there's a special brick to be pushed or something along those lines.
Tak-tha finds the discolored brick, just to the right of the secret door and low on the wall.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Open it?
Note: I'm giving the two silent players a smidge more time to post. After that, if they're still not posting, I'm retconning them out of existence and bringing on new players to replace them.
ReplyDelete[Tak-tha]
ReplyDeleteTak-tha shifts down the steps, back into the main chamber. Reaching into his pack, he pulls out a foot long metal bar, solid at one end and multiple concentric circles at the other. With a flick of his wrist, 9 foot long segments, each one slightly smaller in diameter, extend out quickly into a ten foot pole. In a place designed to kill them, it doesn't hurt to safely push potentially dangerous buttons from a distance.
Tak-tha pushes the button with the ten foot pole. It's a smart precaution, but nothing bad happens. The door swings inward, revealing a minor niche beyond. Creeping up to take a look, you see that the walls of the 5' by 5' niche are glistening with moisture. Just water as far as you can tell. At the back of the niche is a shelf no bigger than your forearm, and a simple stone table resting on top of it.
ReplyDeleteHanar, desperately trying to catch up, calls upon his insight of Dwarven Plumbing history to determine the source of the water.
ReplyDeleteHanar suspects that the water is coming from hot springs somewhere deep underneath this particular chamber, venting up through very minor cracks in the earth.
ReplyDeleteOr it just might be that time of the year, when small enclosed spaces get humid.
Retcon: We might have a dwarven thief join us momentarily. Effectively immediately, this character replaces Sadhorn Angerflames, who was never in the Crucible.
ReplyDelete[Dervan]
ReplyDeleteDervan moves toward the three pedestals. Sure, the gems were sparkly, and the symbols were interesting. He approached the pedestals.
Talking to no one in particular. "I wonder if the ways guarded by each God's symbol will have challenges related to the God. Hmm...yes. That could possibly it."
He rubbed his chin and took to examining the pedestals.
OOC: Could I get a check on the significance of the symbols and another attempt to discern the significance of the pedestals?
Arcana +12, Religion +10
[Dervan]
ReplyDeleteDervan's religious knowledge allows him to put the pieces together. Indeed, the four stairways will take them to various godly challenges. And, an object of some significance must be retrieved from each to be placed on these pedestals.
Tech: Very excellent religion roll gave you some key information. Use it well!
[Thundic]
ReplyDeleteThe dwarven rogue pulls at his ebony colored beard as he studied the archway at the far end of the chamber, eyeing the stonework keenly. Keeping a close eye on the carvings of the feathered snakes, remembering the animated mural, and trying to discern the nature of the wall and if anything seems out of place.
Perception +5, Dungeon +7
[Thundic]
ReplyDeleteThundic gets very close to the stonework of the archway, studying it as only a dwarf can. What is it about this archway that piques his interest?
He looks at the tapestries on the wall, flanking the archway. Four of them with a symbol of a god on each one.
There's something about all this... but he's not sure what exactly.
[Thundic]
ReplyDeleteOOC: Does Dervan share his information with the group or is it assumed that the information is shared as discovered?
OOC: To make it easier, we can assume that info becomes group knowledge. Otherwise, the play-by-post becomes unwieldy to manage.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Also, in fourthcore, metagaming is ENCOURAGED. #shocker
ReplyDeleteOOC: It's a good thing we're automatically assuming to metagame. Dervan normally wouldn't care to tell people, but you can assume I would. :)
ReplyDelete[Thundic]
ReplyDeleteCurrently unable to discern what nags at him about the stone archway and the four tapestries, he joins the others near the opening of the southeast staircase and walks up a few sets of stairs to stand near the now opened secret door.
"Perhaps someone would like to take a step inside?" He grumbles, peering around for something with a bit of heft to toss into the alcove beyond, quite suspicious of the moisture clinging to the ancient stones. He sniffs at the air in an attempt to discern if any odor is coming from the secret room.
Insight +5, Perception +5
There's plenty of small pebbles and rocks littering the floor, as well as bones and skulls... Sniffing the air of the secret niche, it is as one expects. Rather musty, as if the space had been shut in for a long time.
ReplyDelete[Thundic]
ReplyDelete"If nae one else has the guts..." He walks over to a nearby skeleton against the wall and after saying a quick thank you to the fallen adventurer it once belonged to, plucks the skull from its still mostly intact vertebrae and strides back, casually tossing the hollow bone into the alcove, being careful not to hit the stone tablet or the shelf it rests upon.
The skull lands on the floor and breaks apart from being exceptionally brittle. No traps are uncovered if there are any.
ReplyDelete[Thundic]
ReplyDeleteLetting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, Thundic lets out a chuckle.
"Alright, let's see what we have here..." He steps towards the alcove, then stops, remembering Kotaresh's particularly twisted outlook on the world and takes a small step into the secret room, touching the toe of his boot to the slick, mildewy stone floor.
Toe to floor... seems safe so far!
ReplyDelete[Dervan]
ReplyDeleteDervan leaves his examination of the pedestals to go see what all the fuss was about the secret door they found earlier. Eyes glancing with boredom at the gem encrusted statues, Dervan walks slowly over to see what they had found. He sees someone stepping in so he moves by the entrance, waiting for whatever was in the chamber to be retrieved.
OOC: There's four paths, and three pedestals, right? That means we can skip one. :)
OOC: Gem-encrusted pillars. Statues have no gems.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I really need to get more sleep. My mistake. Gem encrusted pillars then. :)
DeleteOOC: I'm going to add one more dungeoneer, to correct a mistake I made originally. I should have shot for 7 dungeoneers from the start, to overload the game just slightly so that when one player goes silent, it does not affect the game negatively. Welcome Aramil, Eladrin Swordmage. He's been there all along. This is the last time I will pull these shenanigans. Thank you -MilwaukeeJoe
ReplyDelete"oh, thats tender" Nevdor shouts suddenly after prying out the gem...
ReplyDeleteAs everyone else seems to be focused on the secret room, Nevdor will go and search the rest of the skeletons. "This place doesn't sound too bad, as long as we don't get greedy", everyone hears him talking to himself...
OOC: Hi everybody, we trust you completely. Don't get us killed (j/k).
Then I will go over and join the party see whats going on in the musty room.
Nevdor doesn't find anything of interest among the other skeletons. Eventually, he's right there with the rest, on the stairway leading to the Kotaresh challenge, peering into a small stone closet, with a small white, blank tablet lying within.
ReplyDelete"What are you all standing around for?" Nevdor takes a quick peek in the room and around the door frame, looking for pressure plates or the like, then (if he sees nothing), takes a step in and lifts the tablet slowly.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I'm going in! (fortune favors the bold, or new PC incoming?) Lets keep the line moving, we don't have all night here...I will shake the tablet, blow any dust off, and hand it to the wizard. I am here to retrieve items, not necessarily understand them...
Nevdor goes in, and comes out with a small stone tablet. Easy as pie. The table is small, white, completely blank. Not a scratch on it. Dervan can sense illusion magic about it.
ReplyDelete[Bhareg]
ReplyDeleteGlaring at the tablet, Bhareg mutters, "This is the fortune? The gods are cruel indeed." His gaze travels up the stairs, then comes back to rest on Nevdor and Thundic. "You two look like you're familiar with Kotaresh. What might we face if we follow these stairs?"
OOC: I don't think the top of the stairs has been described yet. +8 Perception if necessary.
Also, totally aside and no offense meant, but the name "Thundic" doesn't quite pass my personal "say-it-out-loud" test.
[Thundic]
ReplyDelete"Ah, was that it? I mean, o'course that's it! I knew Kotaresh wouldn't let us down..." He takes one last look around the alcove before joining the rest of the party in the passageway. "Well, Kotaresh never really speaks to...well...anyone." He chuckles, peering into the shadows at the top of the stairs. "He always makes himself known though. Trust nothing you see, and watch the shadows" The jet haired dwarf unlatches the peace belt on his sword and begins up the stairs towards the first challenge.
OOC: Yeah I know, but I like it so long as you put the emphasis on the Thun', not the dic.
OOC: Sorry for being away since opening the passage. Anyways, while there may be four passages and only three columns, suggesting we can skip one, there's a good chance that collecting all four whatever items will give us a bonus to completing this dungeon, if we have the time. I'm gonna post this idea in the OOC thread as well, just wanted to put it here first.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Worse yet though, perhaps there are four items and we need three specific ones, so if we only get three there's a 25% chance of us having the wrong one. However if we don't need it, it'd certainly look good above a mantlepiece.
ReplyDelete[Dervan]
ReplyDeleteDervan takes the tablet, and sense the magic on it. Feeling only the slightest bit interested, he shakes the tablet a bit, then tries rubbing his hands across the surface to see if he can feel anything.
OOC: Basically trying different things to see if it's readable or not.