Your eye is immediately drawn to the four central, elevated platforms. These platforms are connected by wooden bridges, and flank a pit in the middle that you can barely see. You hear faint wails of pain from this pit, and licks of hot flame.Two of the platforms support stone chests, another holds a pedestal bearing an open tome, and above the final platform levitates a nine-pointed golden crown. Floating above the points of the crown are spheres of white light, like miniature stars, that pulse rhythmically.
Towards the rear, behind massive columns of sandy stone, you spy three huge gilded mirrors hung at even intervals against the west wall.
Last but not least, hanging form the railing of your very balcony - just 10 feet from you - is a desiccated body of a partially mummified humanoid. It clutches something in its hand; it looks like a scroll tube, perhaps?
OOC: Some notes. You came through the door at T6/T7. The line at R1 is not a wall, but a ledge. The tome is at I4, crown at O4, treasure chests at I9 and O9. Pit at K6. Mirrors at A4, A6, A9. The hanging mummy is at R9, just beneath you.
If any questions, just ask.
Addendum Imagery:
 |
| Don't mess with Damned Wretches... |
Motir
ReplyDelete"Hmmm, a curious fate to be mummified and hung." Motir steps up close to the corpse and kneels down to inspect it.
Tech
Religion +5, Perception +11, Insight +4 to inspect the mummy and the tube.
You will need to pull the mummy up if you want to inspect it closely. Do it?
ReplyDeleteCrx
DeleteCrx examines the rope holding the mummified humanoid to see if it is somehow attached as a tripwire or otherwise trapped. If finding none, he pulls up the body for fur further examination by himself and Motir.
Tech:
Insight +6, Perception +6, Thievery +9
Grelloc
ReplyDeletePassing through the doors, the hunter narrows his eyes and studies his surroundings cautiously. The mummy hanging beyond is odd, but the floating crown draws his eye immediately. He moves closer to the edge and strokes his fire-bared chin thoughtfully as he gauges the gap between the two platforms.
The tome and chests draw his attention as well, and thinking of the marvelous suit of armor he passed by in the previous room. Though as intriguing as the chests may be, the glittering crown draws him back again and he grins slowly as he peers closely at the raised floor beyond, scanning the area around the hovering circlet for the tell-tale signs of traps or trigger stones.
Tech:Perception +7, Arcana +0, Wisdom +2, Insight +2 A floating crown... this can either be particularly sweet or vilely awful... Does it exude any kind of magic he can discern? Any aura? Does the floor appear to be trapped or blocked? I'd rather not find out just what is doing all that wailing below...
Del-Kai looks at the room, particularly at the pit in the middle. Picking up a small rock, he tosses it the length of the room, over the pit towards the mirror on the far side. Not enough to break anything, but just to see if there are any invisible barriers or odd gravitational effects.
ReplyDelete[Crx]
ReplyDeleteYou pull up the body, finding no traps on the rope. Elven runes encircling the tube read, "All is not as it seems."
As far as you can tell, the tube is not trapped.
Rolls: insight 12, perception 18, thievery 21. Motir understands Elven.
[Grelloc]
ReplyDeleteGrelloc does not see any obvious traps, nor gains any clues from the crown other than what is obvious - it has glowing motes above it and it floats.
Rolls: perception 15, arcana 2, insight 8.
[Del-Kei]
Del-Kai's rock soars across the chamber and does not activate any traps, nor is the arc affected by any strange gravities or magic.
Crx
ReplyDeleteCrx will open the tube to see if perhaps there is a map or otherwise useful item inside. Intrigued by the script on the outside, he wonders if perhaps the tube is a puzzle or part of some other puzzle in some other room, so he inspects it very carefully to determine if there's anything special about the way it is built (might it fit into something else or something might fit into it?)
Tech:
Insight +6, Perception +6, Thievery +9
Motir
Delete"All is not as it seems," Motir mutters out loud, wondering what the phrase refers to. With the same thoughts and curiosity about the tube, his eyes dance over the tube, watching every action Crx makes, trying to see if he spots anything the Thri-kreen may miss.
Tech
Insight +4, Perception +11, Religion +5, Thievery +8
Once the tube is opened, does there appear to be a hidden compartment? Is there anything special about the runes?
Vengeance looks out at the chamber, a frown on his face. So many dead bodies. Natural in a place like this, but rather disconcerting. He looks out across the platforms, trying to think if he can recall ever hearing of something like these, or at least find some hint of magic that might give him a clue as to the nature of what lies below.
ReplyDelete[Tech]
History +8, Religion +8, Arcana +8, Perception +5
Two-rocks looks over the edge and judges its height. He then calculates the drop jumping from the ledge to platform with the crown. Once satisfied, he tries to see what is reflected in the far-off mirrors.
ReplyDeleteOnce satisfied, Two-Rocks tried to determine how the mummified corpse died.
[TECH]
Two-rocks is considering a short-cut--jumping from the ledge to the landing: Perception +9 and Athletics +9 (+8 in armor, powerful athlete)
Perception +9 and Nature +11 to determine the cause of death.
[Crx and Motir]
ReplyDeleteOpening the scroll tube, you discover two things. First, you find a Scroll of Summoning (that will earn you a treasure should you read it). Second, you discover the tube's false bottom, a secret compartment which contains a small, glowing sphere of light. This light floats just above the palm of your hand.
Tech: Crx has the scroll and nimbus of light, since he posted first.
[Vengeance]
Because the floating crown is giving off a strong magical aura, it's very difficult for Vengeance to get a read on anything else. He's not even sure what kind of aura is coming off the crown either. The book on one of the far platforms strikes him as something he should know... but not at this distance.
The wails coming from the central pit are a clear indication to where it leads - to the very ABYSS itself!
Rolls: history 23, religion 25, arcana 11, perception 24.
[Two-Rocks]
Just like Crx and Motir, Two Rocks discovers two peculiar things about the corpse. First, unpeeling a few of the bandages, he finds a set of rusty thieves tools. The do not give off any magic. Second, he finds almost no wounds on the body except for a single hole at the base of the skull. This is ritualistic - it represents that the soul was sucked out of the body through dark magic while the body was still alive.
Rolls: perception 28, nature 16. I won't even worry about rolls to jump down; you're heroic and kick ass. Getting back up to the balcony, however, might require some athletics work.
Crx
ReplyDeleteCrx loves treasure but believes in teamwork for survival purposes. He reads the scroll but will be happy to hand the treasure to whomever it seems most suited to. Granted, that is probably Crx.
Crx looks at the light floating above his hand and wonders if it is similar to the spheres floating above the crown.
Grelloc
DeleteThe hunter's eyes narrow as he looks from the scintillating sphere in the Thri-Kreen's claw back to the crown that hovers above the nearby platform. He reaches out and closes his fingers over the sphere and nods to the rogue in thanks.
"Be ready to retreat should this prove folly..." He says grimly, looking at the shining ball of light that floats in his palm. "Hold our exit and take to your heels, keep the sword safe and end this Wyrm Prince once and for all."
He turns without another word and runs for the ledge, vaulting out into the air and crashing to the raised platform, rolling to a stop on one knee, one fist clenched around the ball of light and the other around the hilt of his longsword. His yellow eyes scan the surrounding area before he rises to his feet and walks towards the crown cautiously.
Tech:Take the sphere from Crx, (make a Dex Vs Ref attack if he resists I guess?) and leap onto the platform with the crown. Move to P4 and investigate the crown, Perception +7
[Crx]
ReplyDeleteCrx notes that the nimbus he holds looks just like the ones floating above the crown.
Invoking the power of the scroll, it summons an Orb of Power to your hand! The scroll then crumbles to dust.
ORB OF POWER
Minor Action: Consumable.
Shatter the orb to recharge an expended encounter power.
Crx, will you give the nimbus to Grelloc?
ReplyDeleteCrx
Delete!xx!pffff!tktk!
Tech:
Translation: It's his funeral.
[Grelloc]
ReplyDeleteThe moment Grelloc's feet touch the floor of the platform, the crown comes alive! The stars above it burn bright RED. It blasts Grelloc with scorching fire before teleporting away to hover above another of the platforms. Grelloc is still standing, but won't be able to take too many more blasts...
Tech: Hellfire Bolt, 19 vs Reflex 14, hit for 10 fire damage. Grelloc is now at 16 hp.
Round 1 has begun! The crown of stars has already acted this turn. Players, GO! You have until Friday Noon CDT to get your posts in. You can start anywhere on the balcony (except for Grelloc, of course).
Grelloc
ReplyDeleteThe hunter’s scream fills the chamber as once again he is kissed by fire. His flesh crackles and splits, raw white blisters rising on his exposed arms and face as he tries to block the conflagration, holding the shining ball of light tightly.
As the purple aftershadows of the light fade away, he sees the crown on its new platform and takes off.
One…
Two…
Three…
With a running start, he leaps from the edge of the platform towards the adjacent one, angling above the open pit and trying not to look down as he hurtles towards the ledge.
Tech:Move from P4 in a running leap at M5, trying for J8. Acrobatics +8, Athletics +2. I’ll hold off on the rest of my action until I see if our orc hunter ends up as a splatter or not.
[Grelloc]
ReplyDeleteGrelloc attempts to jump over the wooden bridge, but his jump is far too short. Landing on the eastern bridge, he finds it all buckle under him. It didn't break... instead the trap hinge on the underside drops him like a sack of hammers into the middle pit!
The only thing saving Grelloc from a long fall into THE ABYSS are the many hands of the damned wretches - undying corpses of torment and agony - that hold him fast! The begin to rip him apart!
Four damned wretches emerge from the pit as well, looking to snuff the breath of life from your lungs.
Tech: Roll of 6 for athletics, failure. Bridge trap 25 vs Reflex 14, hit. The pit does 8 points damage to Grelloc, who is now grabbed in the pit, and bloodied at 10 hp.
OOC: If I have a power that slides, can I use it to slide Grelloc out of the pit?
DeleteOOC: No, since he's grabbed, he cannot be pushed, pulled, or slid. He can be teleported, if someone has that ability.
DeleteTwo Rocks lines up and charges the crown.
ReplyDelete[TECH]
Double move: Line up with row 10 or 8, whichever gives Two-Rocks the best advantage to gain the crown. Jump from column T to column P (Athletics +8, roll twice and take the better). Run 2 squares and then jump from column M to column J (same Atheltics check).
Minor: Stone's Endurance - resist 5 all for 1 turn.
Crx
ReplyDeleteCrx uses his innate abilities to their finest advantage and moves like the wind, hoping to end this quickly.
Tech:
Move to M5 (jump is at least 2 squares with my auto-running start).
Minor grab the floating light from Grelloc's outstretched hand.
Move to J8 (jumping well over the pit) and finish the jump with an outstretched hand, dunking the light onto the crown like a insect Michael Jordan.
Grelloc
ReplyDeleteGrowls as the undead hands tear at his burned skin, twisting and writhing in their grasp like a wild animal, elbowing and slashing at their putrefied flesh with his long sword. He hears Crx’s chittering cry and tears an arm free to throw the ball of light up at the rouge.
As his blade bites into his foes, he feels a surge of strength rush through him each time their dark, ichor-like blood runs down his blade, renewing his savagery.
Tech:Activate Aspect of the Dancing Fox, all attacks made against Grelloc until his next turn deal half damage
Strength +2 to pull free and Dex +3 to toss the ball of light up towards the platform where Crx waits.
Warrior’s Surge +6 vs AC, 1d8+2, spend a healing surge.
[Two-Rocks]
ReplyDeleteTwo-Rocks leaps from platform to platform with ease, powerful legs propelling him forward. The damned wretches try to claw as he passes overhead, to little avail. At last, Two-Rocks is before the floating crown. If he didn't know better, he could swear the crown was ANGRY.
[Crx and Grelloc]
Crx rushes to action, leaping from the balcony to balcony. Grelloc can see his companion and knows what to do - throwing the star at him. Crx snatches the star in MID-LEAP! and landing next to Two-Rocks, he slams the star into it's place upon the crown.
THE CROWN LOSES ALL POWER, AND CLANGS TO THE STONE FLOOR, POWERLESS!
The stars vanish. The wretches in the pit sink down deeper, releasing Grelloc who climbs up to the top. The remaining four wretches that are standing are dispatched at your whim, if you so with, by blade, spell or arrow.
You are out of combat and may continue the exploration of the chamber as such. Congrats! Grelloc, I did not spend any healing surges, but you may still do so if you wish.
Grelloc
ReplyDeleteDragging himself onto the cracked stone floor with a pained grunt, the hunter collapses onto his back, panting heavily. He looks up at his companions and gives them a sign he is okay, despite his blackened flesh and torn skins.
Finally getting his breath back, he shakes off the pain of the encounter and draws himself to his feet, wincing at the ragged scratches that lattice his bare arms. Weary and pained, he drags himself up the stair towards the raised platforms and his awaiting fellows, touching one of his many watery blisters as he winces.
“After all this I think I’ll be done with fire, thanks…” He chuckles, groaning as he uncorks his waterskin and pours some of the cool liquid over his scorched flesh.
Tech:Spend healing surges to return to full hp, move to H9 and investigate the crown, Perception +7
You return to full hp (2 surges left). The crown is finely made and beautiful, but no longer radiates any magic.
DeleteDel-Kai pauses, just as he was preparing to leap across the gap. "Ah. Well...that was easier than expected."
ReplyDeleteClimbing down slowly, Del-Kai makes his way to the far side of the room to inspect the mirrors.
[Del-Kai]
ReplyDeleteWhen you draw close to the mirrors, you see your reflection... but it's altered. Your eyes are gouged out by crows that encircle and land on you!
It seems to only be the image, nothing bad is happening to you... as far as you know.
Motir
ReplyDelete"Blink and you'll miss it." Motir follows Del-Kai down to the floor below and makes his way up the stairs to the south-west platform. He kneels by the bridge, inspecting it and pulling out his thieves' tools to make sure the trap doesn't activate again.
Tech
Perception +11, Thievery +10 Is the bridge trap still active? If so, disable it.
[Motir]
ReplyDeleteYou may disable the two trap-bridges (east and west) without any trouble. The southern one is not trapped.
When I say "may", I mean "you did".
DeleteCrx
ReplyDeleteCrx wonders if anyone knows who the crown belongs to - who should be wearing it? "Xxchhckk?"
However, he does know about chests, and that they are often trapped. So carefully he inspects the one he is standing next to and checks for traps. Finding none, he opens the chest and examines it's contents.
Tech:
Perception +6, Thievery +11 with Thieve's Tools
Del-Kai walks up and down the final row by the mirrors, checking to see if the distorted reflection is the same in all of them. If it is, he'll move up and inspect the crown, and try to recall what he's heard of it.
ReplyDeletetech
History+10
Vengeance joins the others down in the room, going to examine the book and see if he can recall what seems so familiar about it.
ReplyDelete[tech]
Arcana +8, History +8, Religion +8, Perception +5 on the book. Assuming nothing untoward happens I will also due the same to the mirrors once I've checked out the book.
[Crx]
ReplyDeleteCrx takes a closer look and realizes that this crown - the Crown of Nine Stars - once belonged to a powerful pit lord who was imprisoned within the artifact by the Wyrm Prince. Even while disabled, it still possesses power.
Moving over to the chests, he gives them a close look. Chiseled into both chests is the symbol of an eye surrounded by nine stars. Seeing neither lock nor trap, he opens each one. The east stone chest contains a jewel-encrusted statuette of a many-legged dragon (worth 500 gp). The west stone chest contains what looks like a shard of an artifact shield - an infamous Fragment of Foebreaker!
Also found in the chests (yes, it's random treasure card time, wooo! Also, check out the new treasures tab.)
Crx - Evil Idol (tell me what it looks like?): Gain a +2 to saving throws.
Del-Kai - Slavedriver's Scepter (2 charges. Standard action: Create a minion version of yourself with no skills or powers that lasts for 5 minutes or until killed.)
Grelloc - Potion of Healing (Minor action, consumable: Drink this putrid lukewarm liquied to regain 10 hp and counteract any poison in your veins. You live - for now.)
Motir - Demonblood Vial (Quaff this vial of frigid demon's blood to gain a +5 to your attack and damage rolls this turn.)
Two-Rocks - Jet Crystal Ball (Minor action, consumable: You smash the crystal summoning a shadowy oracle that truthfully answers one yes-no question you ask about the dungeon.)
Vengeance - Supernal Ring (Your current and maximum HP increase by 10).
Rolls: history natural 20, thievery 26, perception 24.
[Del-Kai]
The images in the mirrors seem the same to each other. However, the middle one is a secret door! No traps that you can see, just pull the mirror like a door. What lies beyond?
Rolls: history 15, dungeoneering 21.
[Vengeance]
The book is open and filled with thousands of names, written in red. A crimson-feathered quill is nestled between the pages. You recognize this as a Book of the Damned, used by demons to strike deals with mortals, granting great power at a price. A contract is binding when signed in BLOOD. It gives off unholy magic.
Rolls: religion 19, arcana 22, history 20, religion 21.
Crx
ReplyDeleteCrx looks down at the idol and is terrified at the most evil, horrid thing he can imagine - a twisted froghemoth, its terrible tongue wrapped around the neck of a poor insect sacrifice. With a shudder, Crx puts the idol away, respecting its power and fearing its message.
"The passage behind the mirror has the feel of a poorly concealed secret. Let us see where the hallway leads first.
ReplyDelete[TECH]
Two-Rocks peers down the obvious passage and tries to discern what may lay ahead.
Perception +9
Need more clarification, which is the obvious passage?
Delete1. Mirror Secret Door.
2. Stairs leading up.
3. Door in northeast area, north wall.
4. Or back the way you came.
Thanks!
Apologies. I meant the passage to the north. *I forgot about the door.* so please amend tot eh be the stairs instead, which I feel less likely to be trapped.
Delete[Two-Rocks]
ReplyDeleteYou explore up the stairs a ways, venturing just as far as you can without being too separated from the others. The stairs leads up, then curves around to end in a single closed iron door. Immediately to the right of the iron door is a pull chain that ends in a dangling miniature dragon skull of rusted iron.
You spy neither locks, nor traps... but hard to really tell at a distance.
Rolls: perception 20.
Del-Kai steps forward to examine the iron door more closely.
ReplyDelete[tech]No roll, I just want a idea of what this thing is.
The iron door at the top reminds you of the doors in the very first chamber you entered; the ones embossed with the images of various monsters of myth.
ReplyDeleteNote: I pushed you guys further beyond the secret door, but don't feel like you HAVE to go there. If you feel strongly for going somewhere else, do so!
The Ghost Council Chamber