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| An ominous doorway awaits you at the top of the spectral stairs... |
You open the doors to see a enormous balcony-chamber beyond. The north end comes to an end at a deep chasm. Intense heat and the sound of thick bubbling reverberate from the darkness below.
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| You enter this chamber at A16/A17. |
The 12' wide by 15' tall statue of the Iron Lich's wife's face juts from the south wall. Like that of the hallway you just left, her large eyes are empty sockets. She is flanked by two well-preserved silver banners that have been embroidered with a winged gear.
On the other side of the chamber, another double doors gives possibility to further exploration east.
OOC: I'm out on vacation today, so my follow-up posts will be sporadic. If nothing else, I will post responses on Monday. Good luck!
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteStepping forward into the room, the dusky skinned mage peers over the edge of the balcony, curious about the rumbling from below.
He turns his attention towards the minotaurs, examining the statues for buttons, switches or any sign of animation. He also crouches, reaching out to touch the glimmering pathway, straining his physical and aural senses as he tries to take in everything at once.
Tech: Arcana+19, Perception+10, Dungeoneering+10, Religion+19, History+19 Move to I16
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeletePeering over the edge, it drops down into darkness. Very deep pit. The smell of boiling mithril from below assaults your nose.
The minotaurs don't seem to have any secrets about them, as far as you can tell.
Your hand goes right through the glimmering pathway. It is not solid.
Brathu, making sure to keep his distance from the others, makes his way across the ornate hallway then into the spectral staircase. Moving past the group and off to the right, he stares out into the dark abyss before them, studying it deeply.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Arcana, perception checks to find out more about the stairs? Are they real? Luckily we have a flying PC, so worst case, it's time to make Vesten the ferry. I really have to focus at work today, so no more posts from me till later tonight. Joe, place Brathu to the right of the steps, N16. I am wearing the mask of the balor, want to stay out of everyone's way.
[Brathu]
ReplyDeleteExamining with your magical sight, you deduce that the stairs are real (NOT illusion). But, they are also insubstantial. In this state, they will not support anything.
Peering into the depths and the dark, you get a strong sense of foreboding. Something serious and wretched lies behind that doorway at the top of the stairs, of that you are sure.
[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil idly strolls into the room. They had a recent turn of good fortune, but how long would that last? He scans the room carefully, trying to see if there are any interesting magical auras. He is careful to stay away from Brathu.
OOC: Arcana +15, Perception +13
[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil detects an strong Arcane Lock on the doorway heading east (DC 40 on a Knock or Passwall attempt, if one has those rituals).
The stairway and lights are magical, clearly, but the means to solidify the stairs is not readily apparent.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteCursing softly, the mage examines the gap and the door in the distance, wondering what might be behind the portal.
Turning his attention towards the door on the east wall of the balcony, Hanrar stands and walks towards Yursil, pulling out his spellbook and a small pouch of components. "Perhaps we should assault this lock together?" He asks as he kneels, opening the book to a page covered with sigils and runes.
Tech: Move to Q17, begin casting Knock, can Yursil assist on this? Arcana +19
OOC: Yursil doesn't have the Knock ritual (he doesn't have any rituals). Can he still assist with a ritual attempt?
DeleteOOC: Up to four trained in Arcana can give you an Aid Another boost of +2, per the Aid Another rules. Those attempting to help have to hit DC 18. If they miss, they subtract 1 instead.
DeleteYes, Yursil can still help out if Hanrar is the one casting the ritual.
Delete[Yursil]
ReplyDeleteYursil simply nods to Hanrar. Pulling out a similar pouch of components. "Why would I have these..." he wonders softly aloud. They had a purpose to him...once.
With that, he sets about to aid the mage in the ritual.
Tech: Arcana +15 to aid Hanrar
OOC: If anyone else is trained in arcana, we could really use a hand to beat this door.
ReplyDeleteOOC: El-Kal is trained, and will assist with a +17. Looks like Brathu and Vesten aren't trained on the iplay4e site.
DeleteOOC: Holy crap that is an awesome screen grab. Nice work, Joe!
ReplyDeleteOOC: That's why this guy rocks, and is a major inspiration to me. But I think you knew that.
DeleteThanks! Sersa Victory's "special dark" flavor text makes it easy. I am having a lot of fun with the visuals because of it.
Delete[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteEven with the help of his friends, the Arcane Lock will not budge.
Tech: Natural 5 on the roll, bringing you up to 5+19+4=28. Not even close.
OOC: Unless somebody's got a "let him reroll" power and wants to use it.
DeleteOOC: Unfortunately, Vesten has no reroll powers. (Looking over my character sheet, I notice he has Knack for Success, which would have been nice to know. It's an encounter power that gives +4 on next skill check).
DeleteOOC: Wait, was that the only way out of this chamber?! I'm guessing we need some kind of giant emeralds to put into the wife statue to solidify the bridge.
DeleteOOC: I think so. We might now be in a bit of a pickle, as we have no emeralds.
DeleteOOC: If we can get the door on the other side of the room open somehow we might be able to make our way back to the rest of the tomb and into the rooms where we left the gemstones. We can't re-try rolls, but Joe, if Yursil reads the ritual from Hanrar's book, can we try to assist him as a new check or since he assisted does it still count as his check?
DeleteOOC: Any chance of forcing the door or unlocking it via normal means? Is there anything in our equipment that we've gathered that resonates along the same wavelength as the arcane power holding the door closed?
ReplyDeleteLet me put the question back to you guys. According to 4E, can one use another's ritual? I think if yes, then you guys could try once more on the door (or twice more if El-Kal also attempts).
ReplyDeleteAlso, you do not see any mundane means to get past this door.
DeleteOOC: Shit.
Delete"It is personal knowledge, not a ritual book, that enables you to cast a ritual. Some form of handbook or description is needed to actually cast the ritual, but the magic is in you, not in the prop. The market price of the ritual is the cost to learn it, generally in materials needed to practice with the ritual until you have mastered it, but it also includes tutor or book expenses.
You can only learn rituals if you have the Ritual Caster feat and is trained in the governing skill of the ritual. "
However, I did see this too:
"However, another ritual casters ritual book (or other ritual focus item) can be used to reverse-engineer the ritual and learn it, which can be very valuable in the case of unusual or secret rituals. The cost to learn a ritual this way is the same as learning it from a friendly teacher or library. "
I think this is really your choice, Joe. Hanrar will gladly share his knowledge and ritual book if Yursil can cast it.
OOC: If Joe allows Yursil to attempt, add +4 to the check from Vesten's Knack for Success power.
DeleteI'm going to veto the "reverse engineering" here. You don't have enough time.
DeleteOOC: Looks like only other option is the Vesten Ferry. 2sp a ride!
DeleteOOC: Does he have change? Yursil only has big coins on him...
DeleteOOC: We probably needed those emeralds for the eye sockets here and in the other room. Well shit. And we needed a 17 on that roll. Damn. I will pay the Vesten toll, but in Electrum.
ReplyDeleteOOC: I will also toss a couple silvers Vesten's way to get down there. Hanrar could probably reach with a running leap and his Devious Jaunt but I'd rather not risk it. Damn, I really wish we had brought those gemstones along.
DeleteOOC: Is there truly no other way to get back to any other part of the dungeon? If so, ick. No one has any phasing or walk through walls-like abilities available to them?
ReplyDeleteI'm going through our items and such as well. Maybe it's time to use the scroll of view object? To view the phylactery perhaps?
I think that eastern door was the only way out. I'm just hoping this isn't the end game, we don't have this wraithsverge yet, or found his phylactery. Maybe this is a good point to use the whispers of the edifice scroll, find out where we are going...
DeleteOOC: Honestly I can't think of a better time to use the scroll. It might give us some insight about another way to get out of this place and back into the rest of the tomb. If no-one else wants to Hanrar will use the scroll, but keep in mind my natural rolls on anything but combat have been sucking throughout the game.
DeleteOOC: Since one of you has the ability to fly, that person can easily ferry the others across, one at a time. I'm not even going to bother with rolls. You're heroic, you can get it done.
ReplyDeleteIf you do, the rendering for the area beyond that northern door isn't quite ready yet, so I won't post it until at least Wednesday. So if there's something you want to do here and now, feel free.
OOC: I think we're all in agreement that we are stuck moving forward, even if to our dooms. Ferry Brathu last, and I will remove the mask for the ride. But it's going on when we enter the next room, I don't want to get caught wasting actions to don it if something happens immediately after we enter.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Okay, if anyone has a problem with this, please post and I'll rescind my actions.
ReplyDelete[Hanrar]
The mage, disgruntled at the failure of his ritual but not quite yet resigned to flying towards the far door, slips the dusty scroll from his pack and breaking the ancient seal. He unfurls the crackling velum and studies the runes therein for a moment before intoning the arcane commands, his voice taking on the cadence of several people speaking at once as he gathers energy along the weave and uses it to tap into the stored power in the scroll.
As his voice reaches a crescendo the ancient scroll flashes with light and the runes burn away from its surface, leaving a blank page. He turns, directing his gaze at the enormous statue of the liches wife, his eyes burning.
"Lady of old, long gone but not forgotten, tell us the path to take that shall lead us towards the doom of the lich! Provide unto us the key to passing his wards and allow our quest to reach its zenith and scour his darkness from this land! Whisper your secrets to me and relieve yourself of this burden of hatred and the tortured souls long since dead and we shall cleanse you of your slavery and servitude to this damnable sorcerer."
Tech: Expend the Scroll of Whispers of the Edifice, Arcana +19, Diplomacy +8, Religion +19, History +19, Insight +15 I'm sure half of those skillchecks won't do diddly towards our goal but hey, gotta keep trying. Here's hoping we glean some usable information from this stony broad.
Per the scroll and your arcana roll of 24, you may now ask 2 questions.
Delete[Hanrar]
DeletePondering a moment, the mage gazes up at the carved face. "Where can we find another piece of the Wraithverge, and where has the Lich hidden his phylactery?"
OOC: Just a second though, when Hanrar uses his Shadowjaunt he becomes insubstantial, could he use that to pass through/under/around the door?
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteSeven magic mouths appear on the walls, all speaking in unison.
They answer Hanrar, "The last segment of Wraithverge is hidden in the Silver Maw of Battle."
And, "The Iron Lich's phylactery is in his crypt, invisible from mundane eyes and mortal magicks."
The mouths vanish back into the walls as if they had never been.
[Hanrar]
ReplyDeleteLetting out a slow sigh, the dusky skinned Shadar-Kai offers his companions a small smirk. “We now know our directions, but not the pathway or how to get… there…” He trails off, his eyes locked onto the diadem adorning Vesten’s brow. He takes three long steps and extends his gloved hand. “The circlet, give it to me.” He growls, his eyes wide and a half-mad grin on his face. Not waiting a moment longer, the mage snatches the wrought gold circlet and tosses his half-mask aside, placing the ring of metal on his head. He closes his eyes and reaches out with the power of the circlet, trying to pierce the door to the east, his body trembling as it begins to waiver as if through a heat haze, ready to slip through the folds of space.
Use the Circlet of Clairvoyance to see beyond the door, if its clear, he’ll use his blink shirt daily to teleport onto the other side
[Vesten]
DeleteVesten seems ready to protest as Hanrar rips it from his head. Then the dawning realization of what Hanrar is about to do slaps Vesten clearly in the face.
"That's brilliant! Well done!"
The adventure continues in the Temple of Extinction.
ReplyDelete