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| Watch your step, mortals. |
A colossal statue of a woman wearing a horned helmet rises against the east wall from the darkness below. She is blowing a kiss, and her eye line is level with the stairs.Five thick steel pikes jut up from the chasm. Hundreds of bodies, charred beyond recognition, writhe on the pikes. When they see you, they scream and plead for your help! The noise they make is deafening!
OOC: You are still outside the chamber, at M14/M15. The view in the screenshot above would be if you were standing at F14 (with some artistic licence for the positioning of the pikes).
As usual... good luck!
OOC: For the record, I told him that Teryn opens the door via IM. :P
ReplyDeleteOOC: Of the 6+ times I've run this game, you are the first group to see this chamber.
ReplyDelete[Teryn]
ReplyDelete"Woah! This lich has some luxurious accommodations." Teryn quips as she takes a couple of steps into the large room, daggers ready as ever. "And such nice wall art!" From her spot near the door, she extends her senses into the room to get a harder look at the lady and at the column to determine if either or both have enough surface area to support a creature about her size.
Tech: Draw daggers, move to J14, take a harder look at the face and the columns (Perception +17). If I jumped to either, would I be stable on it?
OOC: Let's do this. And with such epic scenery!
OOC: I know, right! Most times I've run RotIL, they never check here. The times they do, they bug out and leave ASAP. I'm excited to actually see this room happen!
ReplyDeleteOOC: Princess Teryn is afraid of nothing.
Delete[Teryn]
ReplyDeleteYou move into the chamber getting a closer look at the pikes. You think you could jump over to a pike if you tried (as per rules for jumping in the Compendium). You're not sure how the impaled humanoids will take your arrival though!
Just then, a figure rises suddenly from out of the inky black pit! His upper-half is of a soldier dressed in the refinery of a captain, while his lower-half trails off in wraith smoke. His sword he raises before him, the edge detailed with black runes.
The Wraith Phalanx Caption calls to Teryn, "You will bow to the Iron Lich, living or dead!"
His left hand points to the entry doors, and they begin to close!
Tech: Combat has begun! The doors will shut at the end of this turn. Teryn (and everyone else), you have full actions. You may leave if you wish. Or do you stand your ground and fight? What say you, crusaders?
You have until Wednesday night to get your actions in.
Ack, I'm not reposting again. It's Wraith Phalanx CAPTAIN.
DeleteHearing the Wraith's challenge, El-Kal cannot help but respond, not with words, but with steel. He moves next to Princess Teryn, balanced and ready to strike at a moments notice.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Move to I14, jagged longsword out, wait for Brathu to try the bribe. I wonder if this Wraith speaks paladin...
After a moments hesitation, Brathu enters, sword undrawn, and looks the Wraith Phalanx Captain right in the eyes..."Captain, your service to the iron lich has been exemplary, and he bade us to gift you this reward as a token of his undying appreciation. Come forward and receive it, then begone from our sight!"
ReplyDeleteOOC: Enter the room, move to F14, speak, and offer the ring of the iron golem to the Wraith Phalanx Cpt. Diplomacy +18, for whats its worth. Bluff +16 as well.
If he doens't take the ring and leave, curse him and draw my sword. And I really liked that ring...I call future dibs on the next one!
OOC: I swear, I leave you guys alone for just a few days and all of a sudden you're getting yourselves into trouble. Yeesh.
ReplyDelete[Hanrar]
Following close to his companions, the mage shifts aside, leaving him ample room to unleash arcane hell should the wraith attack, allowing a spell to half form behind his eyes as he watches Brathu boldly stand against the menacing figure.
His eyes dart around the space, taking in his surroundings as quickly as he can while still paying attention to the actions of the wraith, trying to discern any information he can about the room, statue and the pikes that reach up from that bottomless gloom. He subtly traces his fingers in arcane patterns, watching the captain for any sign of attack, ready to release the pent-up magic and dash to his fellows aid...
Tech: Move to D15, ready Thunder Lance on first sign of combat; Intelligence (+16) vs. Reflex 4d6+8 Thunder damage. Perception +10, Arcana +19, History +19, Religion +19 to take in the room, I guess at a -5 for trying to take it all in as quickly as possible?
Hanrar recognizes the woman's face as the same as the one in the painting you found in the Fane of Sight.
ReplyDeleteBrathu offers the Ring of the Iron Golem to the Wraith Phalanx Captain. The captain telekinetically rips the ring out of Brathu's outstretched hand and into his own! He examines the ring, playing with it in his hands, then puts it on. For a brief moment, you wonder if you just gave the captain a powerful defense against you... especially since out of the northwest and southwest corners, wraith legionanaires begin pouring out of the walls and into the chamber!
But then, the captain relents. He stops the wraiths with an outstretched hand, and the wraiths retreat right back into the wall. He turns to you once again and says, "All beauty will rust. Even YOURS," and he retreats back into the darkness of the pit.
Deep in the pit of your stomach, you feel that the danger is not over. You hear the sounds of churning cogs activating within the walls...
OOC: Congrats, you have bypassed the battle with the Wraith Phalanx Captain and his Wraith Legionnaires. But, the encounter is not over. If you have any actions left, feel free to use them.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteLetting out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, the mage allows himself to relax slightly, the arcane power the had been building in his hands fading slowly and slipping back into the weave. The sudden sound of machinery inside the walls draws his attention as he searches for the result of such a sound. He watches the walls and the statue, as well as keeping a close eye on those pikes and the horribly living charred figures impaled thereupon. Keeping his staff at the ready, he continues down the pathway, stepping carefully.
Move to B14, perception +10, dungeoneering +10. OOC: AWESOME! I was not looking forward to fighting that guy.
[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil had moved himself, not as quietly as he was used to, into the chamber. He felt his movements were uncoordinated and noisy. Was that an affect of touching the tome? Yursil's head still ached and felt oddly empty. Seeing the wraith captain retreat, Yursil glances around for the source of the sound.
"Perhaps we should leave quickly." he says. With that, he starts heading down the stairs.
OOC: That's one unreliable rumor confirmed! Woot!
Tech: Perception +13, Arcana +15, Dungeoneering +8
OOC: I will give Vesten time to post (until tonight), which is fine since I need time to work on an upcoming playtest of "Fane of the Heresiarch" which is happening this weekend!
ReplyDeleteShowing no emotion until after the captain vanishes, Brathu moves towards the next door. "onward fellows, we must not leave the area uncleansed!"
ReplyDeleteOOC: thank the gods! Ok, Brathu will move another 6, too B10. Hung the walls, but keep away from me...that ghoul stench won't help anyone if these walls start pistoning us towards the pit. Let's see what that other door holds...
OOC: to finish out my actions for this turn. Move to C15, hung the wall. I guess we'll have to see what the trap is, and how to get out. I don't want to fail another room!
ReplyDelete[Teryn]
ReplyDeleteTeryn's face splits into a wide, mischievous grin. "You guys want a good look at that door over there, eh? You guys are going to love this." With this, Teryn closes her eyes and murmurs a short rune phrase. At its completion, arcane symbols etched into her leather boots flare into life. "This is going to be so much fun." Taking a moment to sink down and gather power in her legs, she explodes outward into the abyss. Not falling, but flying headfirst, with arms and legs stretched out behind her! A look of raw exhilaration is painted onto her gray face as she soars across the room. In a moment she's covered its length and lands in a crouch before the door on the opposite side. "Now, about this door...."
Tech: Minor: Use my Winged Boots daily power. I gain a fly speed of 7 until the end of the encounter, or until five minutes pass.
Move and Standard: Double move (fly) from J14 to J1.
I'll inspect (Perception +17) the door for traps, locked/unlocked status, and method of opening. Also for any unusual features.
OOC: So happy I got to use these. :D
Not gonna lie, that was pretty wicked. Love seeing players' choices come to such exciting fruition. :)
Delete[Teryn]
ReplyDeleteTeryn flies over to land next to the double doors in the north. A quick examination reveals neither traps, nor locks. It also seems to lack door handles. However, three pyramid-shaped indentations are set into its surface, with the following symbols displayed above them:
* Burning Tome
* Inverted Trident
* Six-Fingered Hand
OOC: So we need to find these items? Shit, maybe we should have ran...they could be in another room. On within those pikes. If these stairs start to retract, I think we're all pretty fucked.
Delete[Vesten]
ReplyDeleteVesten has been quiet and almost invisible since his near death. As the Wraith Captain disappears, Vesten watches without a word as Teryn flies across the chasm. He takes the entire scene before walking to stare across the chasm at the statue. Pondering for a bit, he cocks his head to the side to consider. He then blows a kiss to the statue.
"My apologies, friends. I nearly went to meet my mistress sooner than I intended. I'm not sure what to make of this room. What of this strange statue? I'm tempted to leap across the gap into her hand, but that would be crazy, right?"
Aerrant will examine the statue and the spikes to see if he can discern whatever machinery he hears might work.
Tech: Run to C10, Perception +10, Dungeoneering +10
OOC: Sorry I haven't been posting much. RL concerns have caused me to not pay as much attention to this as I should. I apologize and I'm trying to do better, starting with this post.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteAs Princess Teryn calls back across the chasm with the symbols in the door, the mage's mind races for the significance of each sigil, turning to scour the walls and floor for the markings, perhaps on a triangular flagstone or brick that he might be able to pry from the ancient mortar.
Tech: Perception +10, Dungeoneering +10
Skill checks will not avail you here.
DeleteYou listen intently, trying to hear what the sounds of the churning cogs means. You find out, when two sections of 10' wall thrust outward into the stairway! In one section, the stairway was empty. Someone standing on those stairs would have surely been pushed into the bottomless pit. However, the second section DID have an occupant - Yursil. He barely manages to leap out of the way to one of the corner landings!
ReplyDeleteThen you see something most peculiar. These large threatening blocks are hollow inside! Since you are close enough to the block (that almost killed Yursil), you can see that it contains a pyramid-shaped stone, upon which the symbol of a horned helmet is engraved. Teryn peeks around the corner, but is not close enough to discern see the other's symbol. Then, as quickly as the block pushed outward, it pulls into the wall again!
All the writhing impaled humanoids begin to shriek in terror as a massive blast of fire is "kissed" from the giant statue face, filling the area above the pit. You, being on the stairs/landings are out of range.
OOC: See the vitals tab for an update map. The sections in red are the blocks that had thrust outward, and I've placed the "horned helmet" symbol on the one you could see. You have to be within 2 squares to see what symbol is on the objects within.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteAs the walls shoot forth, the mage jumps, startled by the sudden shift of so much ancient stone. As he sees the triangular shaped object within, his eyes light with understanding and he prepares himself to dash to retrieve the next symbol that appears from its unhallowed resting place.
Tech: Ready to grab should the wall shoot out from A-13/A-11, Athletics +11
Oh, so this is the game we are to play? Brathu moves to the other staircase, ready and waiting to grab for a Pyramid in case it juts out.
ReplyDeleteOOC: move to B5, ready action to grab a Symbol if the walls near me punch outwards. Athletics +13. If I fail and get hit and pushed off the ledge, activate the tymora's luck power on my Harper pin to re-roll the save with a +2 bonus.
El-Kal is staying put, wanting to wait for the walls patterns to reveal themselves and the symbols we actually need.
ReplyDeleteOOC: stay pat, I am assuming there are some areas of safety...that's possible even in a fourthcore module, right? Can we tell which areas of the walls will jut out? Perception +16, if that's any help.
You suspect that the corner landings do not have push-traps on them, but all the stair sections do.
DeleteOOC: Okay, so someone has to pull the short straw on this one to cover the area near the door, who has an immediate interrupt that allows them to move?
ReplyDelete[Teryn]
ReplyDelete"Oh come ON. Why does this guy have to make everything so complicated?" And then, shouting across the abyss to the rest of the group, "Alright, we're looking for a burning book, an upside down trident, and a hand with six fingers. I can take this half of the room just fine, so you guys cover the south! I'm starting to like you guys, so don't get crushed or fall to your death or whatever!"
With this, Teryn sheathes her daggers and throws herself back from the door. Twisting and banking in the air, she speeds across the room, coming to an abrupt stop near the northwestern corner. Hovering in place, her quick, totally black eyes sweep back and forth across the two nearest walls, searching for the first sign of movement. Her fingers flex in anticipation, and her grin widens.
Tech:
Minor action: Sheathe both daggers.
Move action: Fly to square E5.
Standard action: Ready an action to retrieve the first relevant prism from within any jutting block on the northern side of the room.
From that position, Teryn should be able to see the symbol on any projecting wall panel whose area of effect is within two squares of E5. She will only move to retrieve prisms that have one of the three relevant symbols on them.
If needed, her acrobatics check is made with +19 to the roll.
[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil finds a tinge of genuine fear course through him. He was certainly glad to have narrowly escaped death once again.
"That was...close" he rasps quietly.
Seeing how quickly the blocks were moving, he decides it best to avoid the stairs for the moment. He turns to the woman.
"Perhaps we can do something about that pretty face." he says, grinning evilly.
A bit of energy crackles on his hands. After a moment it changes to a ball of acid which he then hurls at the statue.
[Tech]
Standard: Using Chromatic bolt (shifting damage to acid)
+18 vs Reflex, 1d8 + 10 acid damage against the lady face.
[Vesten]
ReplyDeleteHearing the plan, Vesten moves to the north and crouches to wait for the trap to project outward from the wall. His eyes focus on the section of wall, ready to see what symbol it contains.
Tech: Move to B3 and ready an action. If the trap block has one of the symbols we need, jump in.
OOC: I'm going to call these items your going for, "Keys". :)
ReplyDeleteYursil attacks the large statue with magic! But, it seems to have no effect; the statue is built very well.
Two trapblocks push outward from the walls. One is in the very southeast, but you cannot see what icon is on the key. The other one is between Hanrar and Brathu! It has a burning tome key. Hanrar and Brathu both bolt for the Burning Tome Key from opposite sides. Hanrar reaches it first, but only manages to bump it closer to Brathu! Brathu grabs the key and escapes unscathed, but Hanrar is caught by the block as it retracts into the wall.
The statue kisses flame again, and Teryn flies just above the blast radius.
Then you see the first 10' by 10' area of the stairs just in front of the doors fall into the depths! Be glad you weren't standing there for multiple reasons.
OOC: You have a Burning Tome Key. Hanrar takes 48 points of damage. Hanrar is bloodied at 40 hp and 9 surges. I've got that "back from the long weekend, getting my head back into the game" feeling, so if I missed something, let me know. Map updated.
[Teryn]
ReplyDelete"That's one!" calls out Teryn, catching the action out of the corner of her eye. "Now let's see about these others..." Teryn turns her focus back to the north side of the room, intent on grabbing another relevant prism should any appear.
Tech: Same thing as last turn: stay here and ready an action to identify/grab relevant prisms on the north side of the room.
OOC: Nice, that means we don't have to monitor that particular section of wall any more. Shame we couldn't see the one near the door...
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteJust as the ancient stone closes on the dusky skinned mage, he becomes siffused with the purest silvery moonlight, fading into obscurity only to reappear a few feet away in a brilliant flash of liquid silver, unscathed by the cold, crushing stone wall.
He dusts off his robes, grinning as he holds the pyramid high, nodding to his companions. “Only two more to go…” He growls as he tucks the stone away, hustling towards the door on the far platform.
Tech: Moonstride immediate interupt, shift to B8, double move run to J3
OOC: Nice!
DeleteRefunding the 48 damage to Hanrar.
Delete[Round SPEED UP]
ReplyDeleteOOC: I took the liberty of speeding up a few rounds to see what would happen, and delightfully, it went your way in flying colors. All attempt to grab keys (by Teryn) were fine, rolling no less than natural 18's. I can see what you're trying to do, so let's just get there.
By then end of the fourth round, more blocks have appeared. Some are repeats of others, but you finally get an Inverted Trident AND the Six-Fingered Hand keys.
It's the top of the round, and you have all three keys. You may place yourself where you wish on the stairs prior to the start of this round.
Map updated.
It's the top of the FIFTH round.
Delete[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteAs their flying princess deftly snatches the pyramids and then slips lithely free from her would-be stony tomb, the mages grin grows visibly. "Teryn! Quickly, let us open this damnable door and be on with our quest! I thirst to feel the Iron Liches vital force tremble in my grasp just before I sear him into unending torment."
He pulls the stone pyramid from his robes, reaching up and placing it face first into the burning tome indention, gesturing for Teryn to flit over and do the same with her own keys.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteHanrar's key locks into place, a good sign.
[Teryn]
ReplyDelete"Now that's a plan I can get behind." Teryn matches the mage's smile as she shoots across the room, pyramid-stones in hand. A moment after she lands by him, the stones are in the door. Once this is done, Teryn whirls around to face the room, daggers out, ready for any new sign of trouble.
Tech:
Move: Fly to J1.
Standard: Insert pyramids.
Minor: Draw daggers.
[Vesten]
ReplyDeleteVesten, seeing that all three required keys are acquired, takes up position near the double doors to the north. He prepares for the doors to open.
Tech: Positioned at K3. Ready Oath of Enmity on nearest hostile after doors open
I will need exact locations where you are standing as the remaining two keys are fitted. If you agree with where you are on the current Vitals tab map, you can say so.
ReplyDeleteAfter grabbing the key Nd handing it off, Brathu stays put, readied against whatever comes from the portal.
DeleteOOC: staying put, I think I'm close enough to run towards the door if need be, or stead against whatever comes out of the portal.
OOC: Hanrar is at J2
ReplyDelete[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil makes a dash toward the other side of the room. It was a bit undignified, but he didn't seem to keen on getting hit by those blocks.
OOC: Moving and staying at C2.
[Begin fifth round]
ReplyDeleteThe remaining two keys are fitted to the door, corresponding with the images shown. Each locks into place, but the doors don't budge!
Instead, the mouth of the woman's statue opens wide, revealing a swirling prismatic-colored portal within...
OOC: We are still in strict combat actions mode. Standard/Move/Minor/Action Point.
OOC: An no terrifying thing came out after us? I have a feeling we need to jump for it. If the Wraith Captain was the combat, we better get OUT before too long...just like with the Kings statue room. Anyone else got a better plan? I'd have to jump from pillar of bodies to pillar of bodies...
ReplyDeleteOOC: Yeah, I vote we get out of here via the portal. By all appearances we've "solved" the room. Are people going to be able to make these jumping checks?
DeleteWhere exactly do we have to get to to be considered "in" the portal? What square?
OOC: If you make it to J8 or J9, you enter the portal.
ReplyDeletePosting for Hanrar (via email)
ReplyDelete[Hanrar]
As the portal opens, the mage steps close to the chasms edge peering into the open mouth. As he catches a glimpse of what resides within, his eyes grow wide and he feels his blood chill in his veins.
"You are a devious spellcaster indeed, Lich..." He growls under his breath, heeding his bodys' caution as he backs from the stone edge.
He turns to his fellows, his already ashen face paler than usual in the faint light. "It seems our passage must be with a sacrifice of our own selves..."
Gesturing at the swirling portal, he points to the colors writhing therein in turn. "Fire, lightning, acid, ice, fear, dementia..." He lets his hand drop. "...and death."
He takes a few steps back from the edge, a sick sort of grin on his face as he stares, watching the colors swirl and dance in the open mouth of the statue, waiting for just the right moment.
As a large patch of red appears, he bolts forward, leaping from the edge as he yells "Avoid the emerald hues!"
Midway through his leap, the mage becomes as insubstantial as smoke, streaking for the swirl of red, a rictus of expectant agony on his face.
A prismatic globe opening? Damn fourthcore, you's a cold bitch. I'm trying for red, I can use a power to take the fire damage. Shadowjaunt from J3 to the opening.
This is so awesome, thanks for posting today!
Boom, lets get out of here before something blows us apart!
ReplyDeleteOOC: Move to H14, Jump to J11 (with a running start), +15 to athletics. Use Memory of a thousand lifetimes if need be. Use another move action to jump from J11 to J9 and into the portal (use MoTL if I didn't need it before). We don't have a color clue, that I see, so jumps away!
"No treasure in this foul room? Then away from this deathtrap!"
ReplyDeleteOOC: Running jump from D9 to G9, +13 Athletics. If the Pillar attacks me, spend my Std to MBA when I land, +23, and activate the Sword of Croodle's teleport power to bring me into the portal. If not, I'll have to follow Trent's idea and jump again from G9 to J9...should still be considered running, so the DC won't be too hard..../gulp
[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil hesitates, watching all the others jump into the portal. He didn't quite want to rush headlong into his doom. If the others seem to be getting into the portal just fine, Yursil also takes a running leap for the portal.
OOC: Delay to see what happens to the others, then jump through. Athletics +9. If need be, Yursil will activate Ethereal Stride to teleport 3 squares to get to the portal.
Each of you manage the jumps from one spike to the next, and finally to the portal. Hanrar and Teryn use supernatural means, and El-Kal nearly takes the big fall, but Teryn grabs his arm at the last second and pulls him through.
ReplyDeleteInstead of dying, you are teleported to the Trial of Chests.
Seconds after you all leave, the chamber fills with ninety-nine dread wraiths. They seek fresh flesh, but are denied their satisfaction.