| Music: Valve | Portal | Android Hell |
Gardain steps through the portal, experiencing vertigo as he suddenly finds himself alone in an observatory. Looking up, he witnesses the enormous opaque glass dome high above, showing many wondrous constellations where beautiful fist-sized colored gems form the stars.
Before him, a stone table stands in the center of the chamber. Numerous charts and astronomical tools litter its surface in a haphazard mess.
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| One square = 10 feet |
To the right, a glittering black rock the size of a carriage is set against the southwest wall. Several humanoid skeletons have been partially-excavated from within.
To the left, a mystic crystal plaque with a handprint is bolted onto the eastern wall.
Something about the chamber gives Gardain a sense of peace and calm. However, the sight of the hallway exit at the far end brings back the feeling of danger and foreboding in full force...
Welcome to the observatory...
Addendum Imagery:
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteStanding for a moment amid the glittering gemstone stars, the cavalier stares in wonderment as he turns in place, gazing from one artifact of mystery to another. “By th’ lairds o’ t’under…” He breathes, taking a slow step forward deeper into the room.
Avoiding the excavated skeletons for a moment, he turns instead towards the crystalline slab and its glimmering seal, examining it for runes or markings that could lead to discerning its purpose.
Tech: Religion,History +8, Dungeoneering +7, Perception, Insight +5, Arcana +3. Is there anything special about the handprint itself? Is it just an image or an indention? The right number of fingers/digits etc?
[Palim]
ReplyDeleteUpon arriving in the observatory, Palim scans the chamber quickly before his eyes are caught by the domed ceiling. "Incredible." Studying it for a moment, he tries to pick out the familiar constellations, wondering if this is a faithful replica of the nighttime sky.
Then he moves forward to investigate the table, trying to pick out anything interesting or particularly informative. "I suppose our heresiarch is somewhat of a scholar. A messy one at that."
Tech: Perception +9 on the table to find anything notable or different. Is it all just mundane charts and tools? Also I'm trying to figure out if the sky is a correct one, whatever skill that involves.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteRusting bolts hold this plaque to the wall. An indentation (and not just an image) in the shape of a human hand is set into its center. Five fingers, right hand.
Palim appears, teleporting in from the Prison of Frozen Gods...
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteUnable to discern just what the handprint might do, but left with only one option for exiting the room and a burning curiosity, the dwarf opens his fingers over the indented handprint, matching the relief. Turning to Palim, he grins, making his beard lift slightly.
“If Ah die, scrape m’remains intae a jar and trow it at th’ Heresarch fer me, yeh?”
Moving forward the last quarter of an inch, Gardain presses his open hand into the indention.
OOC: Isn't there a hallway opposite where we entered? Handprint thingy isn't the only exit. :P
Delete[Palim]
ReplyDeleteStudying the constellations of embedded gems closely, you recongize that these are not of your own night sky, but that of the world from which the Heresiarch came forth.
The gems are remarkably tightly-fitted and difficult to pull free or budge, as if they were held in place by some considerable force. (DC 27 Thievery required to pull a gem free, if you desire.)
And then you feel proud of all that time you spent in studies of such things, for you realize that one of the many constellations shown in the dome above, ONE of them stands out compared to the others. It is NOT found in the sky that the dome depicts!
[Palim continued]
DeleteStudying the instruments and tomes upon the table, Palim makes two remarkable discoveries. First, he picks up and obtains the Spyglass of True Seeing! It is a small telescope that one can place to the eye, and see things as they truly are.
Second, one of the tomes speaks about a fiendish combination of manitore and minotaur that stalks a labyrinth somewhere beneath the Fane. The tome verifies that the rumor that this very beast wears a planet around it's neck is false.
OOC: New item and rumor shown in the addendum imagery. The new rumor is verified as FALSE.
[Palim]
Delete"Hm." Curious about the powers of the ornate spyglass, Palim opens it and holds it to his eye. He scans the room, taking in the ceiling, the large rock to the southwest, and the large plaque with the handprint in it. Just as Gardain presses his own hand into it.
You do not see anything new that your own mortal eyes do not already detect.
DeleteGardain - Before I can go further, I need to know an important piece of information. What is your (player) birthday - Month and Day?
ReplyDeleteIf you do not wish to post this publicly, you can tell me via email, gmail chat, or direct tweet.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteAfter placing your hand within the indentation, you find you are unable to remove it. It is held fast to the stone!
Twelve panels open in the wall surrounding the plaque, each one revealing a different symbol that glows with prismatic light.
OOC: Illustration added to the imagery above. Use only your own knowledge to solve this puzzle.
OOC: A good way to think of it is, if you were at the gaming table with no wi-fi or iphone, what could you rely upon to help you? You could look at a player's handbook, use your own knowledge, or talk to your friends around you.
DeleteOOC: Hmmm. I guess you have to choose the sign corresponding to your birthday to be freed?
ReplyDeleteWithout looking at outside references, this is what I remember of the symbols:
12 - Pisces (I think)
1 - Aries
2 - Taurus
3 - Gemini
4 -
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 - Aquarius (me)
OOC: 9 is Sagittarius, I recognize my archer :) Scorpio is right before me (8) and Capricorn follows me (10)
DeleteOOC: Note, I had you roll some skill checks to help determine answers, as per the instructions of the adventure... but you guys were dice-cold!
DeleteOOC: Updated list.
Delete12 - Pisces (I think)
1 - Aries
2 - Taurus
3 - Gemini
4 -
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 - Scorpio
9 - Sagittarius (A1Penguino)
10 - Capricorn
11 - Aquarius (Bjorn)
[Gardain]
ReplyDelete“What th’…?!” His hand suddenly bound to the crystalline slab, the dwarf reacts, violently tugging on his stuck hand, his boots scraping noisily across the slab floor, sending sparks flaring up as he tries to back-pedal away from his arcane prison. His eyes squeezed shut in effort, he fails to notice the symbols as they flare to life around the imprint as he rattles off a strained rattle of curses through clenched teeth. After a long moment of tugging, pulling, pushing, straining and grunting, he sighs heavily, resigned to his trapped fate and leans his forearm against the slab as sweat drips down his face into his beard. As he leans his head against his plate-mailed forearm, his elbow slips down slightly and comes to rest over the symbol at 11’oclock.
OOC: Haha, I love it. What a dwarf.
Delete[Palim]
ReplyDeleteLooking for clues in the room to help the dwarf out of his predicament, Palim studies the ceiling, focusing in particular on the constellation that shouldn't be there. How many stars make it up? Does anything about its shape suggest its meaning or significance?
Failing that, the tall cleric will stride over to the rock and inspect it more closely. Was it perhaps a meteorite? He studies the humanoid figures inside as well, wondering about their origin or cause of death?
Tech: Not sure what's needed to think about the missing constellation, but Perception+9 and Heal+8 on the rock and the figures inside the rock.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteYou have chosen.... wisely.
Your hand is released, and you feel a quickening come about you! After the intense sensation passes, you look down into your hand and you see you have a BONE COMPASS.
(See above for the Bone Compass. You gain an action point and training in the skill of your choice. Alternatively, you may gain a permanent +5 bonus to a skill of your choice.)
OOC: The hand and the symbols vanish once you succeed in answering the puzzle. (No second chances.)
ReplyDelete[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteStumbling backwards with a shocked expression, the dwarf looks down at his hand, examining the Bone Compass with a confused expression. He looks over at Palim, a wide grin on his face.
“Y'see, tis an old Feybane tactic, y’ve got tae pretend y’dinnae ken what y’re doin’, throws ‘em off e’ry time.” He tosses the compass lightly up into the air and catches it as it falls, winking at the cleric. “That’s when y’get ‘em.”
OOC: I think I’ll take a +5 to his religion skill, making it a +13
[Palim]
ReplyDeleteThe extra constellation has five stars and represents the "realm of heaven". As for that it means, that's up to you.
Inspecting the rock, you recognize it as a meteorite. The meteorite's composition suggests that it is the fragment of a destroyed planet!
The skeletons are very odd; you're not even sure they are human.
As Shazi steps in to the room and hears the others mulling over the scene, she looks up to the single constellation that's out of place, the gemstones that make up its shape getting her undivided attention.
ReplyDeletePulling out her thieves' tools, she looks to the rest of the group "You might want to clear the room, gentlemen... This could get ugly..." as she grabs for her tools.
OOC: Time to do something that's either very useful or extremely stupid.
Thievery +16 (+14 base, +2 tools) to pull a stone from the single constellation that is out of place. If I can't reach the dome, use my Levitate power to temporary float 4 squares above the ground.
I will want for any player that chooses to leave the room.
And five o'clock is Leo - my constellation - but I guess I'm too late... again... :(
OOC: No-one has left yet, I say go for it. We know the risks and we need to hurry this along.
ReplyDelete[Shazi]
ReplyDeleteShazi receives a boost from a comrade, and she plucks one of the gems out of the constellation with ease. She chooses the constellation that is out of place.
Suddenly, a ghostly silver mist fills the observatory – it is the magically-preserved breath of the mother of the first angels! You feel a wondrous senseation come about you; your reflexes feel wonderfully sharp, your mind agile. The silver mist disapates, and the gem disintegrates to dust.
OOC: You all gain a permanent +2 bonus to saving throws that stacks with any other bonuses you already receive.
[Palim]
ReplyDelete"We become stronger by the minute. Come, let us draw the heresiarch's destruction closer." With this, Palim strides towards the hallway exit at the south of the room.
Tech: Leave the room via the south door/hall. If there's a door, he'll open it.
Kallista draws a deep, invigorating breath and flits after Palim like some demonic Tinkerbell.
ReplyDeleteYou leave the observatory to find yourself in the Gauntlet of Walls.
ReplyDelete