Sylvio sheathes his weapons and looks up at the others “I will need-a my hands to do this. It is up-a to you to keep that-a crow from Sunny.” He then reaches into his pack and retrieves his thieves tools and bends down to search the box for traps. He flips through different implements in the tools as he searches. He uses a small mirror on a metal handle to try to shine light into the gaps and see inside. He fiddles with a small, narrow pair of scissors as he gently probes the small gap between pieces.
25 plus 3 guidance as he carefully investigates the box for traps.
Receiving the magic guidance from Amadi made and enjoying the benefits of his own experience and expertise it easy for Sylvio to be sure that by the weight and size of the box, by the sounds it made when shaken and moved, there was simply no way for it to contain any sort of physical mechanism. It could not possibly be trapped. Not by conventional means. Magic, though, was a different history. One that he knew very little about. Maybe, he thought, someone other in the party could check for this aspect.
The follower of Gond, still enlarged, focused his attention to the moveable structure previously pointed on the kotoribako. In doing so he noticed a pattern on the wood, another moveable piece, connected to the first. He saw how to keep on solving the puzzle. Before he could share his insight, shadows emanate from the cursed item as if smoke. Everyone knows from experience, the crow was manifesting again.
Feathers spread through the air as the sound of flapping wings echoed. An horrible screech invaded your ears as the avatar of the curse appeared. Its eyes registered Sunny presence, by now together with the rest of the group, understand her position as target and retreat, gaining distance, forcing the horror move beyond Amadi’s melee range in order to reach her. Beyond that, she drops her shortswords and draw her longbow, shooting two arrows at the monster. She was hurt, grievously so, but standing and as long that was the case she would carry her weight and contribute to the fight. If Amadi failed to stop the thing, she would do it herself.
Notes: As Sunny was, on the initiative counter, higher than the crow, I gave her the chance to act before the creature attacked. Her action, though, will take place only after Amadi's (who was higher than her on the initiative counter). Any doubt, hit me up on the OOC.
@Everyone, you have the first success on finding how to move the pieces of the box. One of your characters will need to explicitly move the pieces for it to be possible to make another attempt at an Investigation or Perception check to try finding how to move the box's parts. @Althax, Sylvio is absolutely sure the box is not physically trapped. @Paladin, Amadi can make an attack of opportunity on the crow. Even if he fails Sunny will hit the crow and avoid its terrifying attacks. @Everyone, after the first moveable piece discovered on the puzzle box is moved, those who know the nature of the puzzle that makes the box may attempt a Investigation or Perception check to try moving the box's parts. The DC is 20 and you will need to succeed and characters attempting it can receive help and guidance. You will need to succeed two more times to open the box.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Amadi was sure he knew the first move to try and solve the puzzle before them, but that damned crow was back again. He was ready and swung his hammer to kill it...again
Attack: 11 Damage: 17
With the blasted crow out of the picture, for a moment at least, he quickly told Sylvio what he needed to do to move the first part of the puzzle.
Sylvio looks up after his careful examination. “Sulvio is-a confident that it is not trapped by any-a physical means. I do not know-a if there are magical traps on-a it though. Is that-a something any of you can-a find?”
Amadi’s explanation makes sense and he nods before reaching out to gingerly move the pieces as suggested.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The crow’s reappearance jolts Sweeps into action as he realize that although he may be little help in solving a puzzle, he can still protect Sunny from this murderous avatar. As the crow falls to Amadi and Sunny’s attacks, Sweeps vows to be ready for the next time. He moves to stand in front of Sunny, his maul ready for the crow to spawn and attack again.
“Hurry and solve the blasted thing before that beast comes back” he urges Sylvio and Gabriel
Readied attack against crow: Attack: 22 Damage: 11
Sunnypeers around Sweeps' form, utilizing his protection but trying to assist. Exhaustion evident in her already harsh speech, "What if you turn it just to the left there?" She says pointing slightly, patting Chewy with her other hand.
As Sylvio worries about magical trappings both Sunny and Amadi work on solving the puzzle. The first slice of wood is easy to move and so is the second and third. A moment of doubt comes from the fourth - it seemed possible to place in one of two directions. Sunny points a side, but sliding the piece there shows no result. An attempt not wasted, for it eliminated a wrong possibility, making it easy for an Amadi calling on the guidance of Gond to find the next step in solving the puzzle.
He turns the puzzle one time then another and one more. Everything seems to fall in place and no spellcraft seems to take place. The concentration costs him the time to react were the crow to appear, but Sweeps was ready. The creature moved in the air, but appeared on reach from the ground. And appeared suddenly. At any moment, the barbarian knew, it could manifest again. Yet it did not. A fact noticed by everyone in the party. But why would it take so long? Clack. The sound of a piece of the box moving broke the silence, almost as if answering the question. Solving the puzzle. Its simple process seemed to interfere with the avatar of the curse. That was a good omen, the first on a while. Isao was probably right. If they broke that damn thing open they could stop its effects.
Notes: Welcome back, Jynne. Any doubt, hit me up on the OOC.
@Everyone, you have the second success on finding how to move the pieces of the box. One of your characters will need to explicitly move the pieces for it to be possible to make another attempt at an Investigation or Perception check to try finding how to move the box's parts. @Everyone, for brevity's sake I assumed Amadi moved the pieces referent to both the Perception check successes. Now any character may attempt a Investigation or Perception check to try moving the box's parts. The DC is 20 and you will one last to open the box. Characters attempting it can receive help and guidance.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sylvio nods as the others point out suggestions and help move pieces. The slow return of the crow also makes him believe that they are making progress.
”Nearly there-a now.”
His forehead beads with sweat as he focuses intently on the box searching for the correct movement that should occur next 21 investigation plus 3 guidance.
The sweat stings his eyes and he frustratingly wipe it away. It continues to sting and blur his vision, making the investigation even more difficult.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sunny keeps another of her friends between herself and the box avoiding handling it directly as she suspects that it still contains dangers for her.
"As we study this malevolent thing, shall we position ourselves perhaps a little more defensively?"
She utters several commands to Chewy and he dutifully sits guard observing sky and passageways with keen eyes. perception23 PP 16 then wraps up the vicious looking wounds about her neck.
@DM could our pause to study this box warrant a short rest? (otherwise we all could use some healing) and Healer's Feat on herself for 1d6+4+patient's HD of healing 15
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Right, there we go. That piece moves there and now this one." Amadi says giving directions as he sees how the puzzle box seems to work. He looks at what they have accomplished. "This seems to be working. Let me take another look." Again studying the box and the moveable pieces he whispers a prayer to Gond for guidance and with the help of the others tries to figure the last bit out.
26 + 3
Directing the others to what he thinks is the correct movement me looks on hopeful that they have accomplished the feat.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gabriel stares at the device as the puzzle starts to unlock, the answer seeming so obvious now. Offering Guidance wherever required, he otherwise keeps a lookout for any sign of danger.
Through Gabriel and Amadi the guidance of both Lathander and Gond were brought upon the party. Even the failed attempts of solving the puzzle seemed to help, eliminating possibilities, making it easier to notice the right answer. Then all progress halt. Sylvio understands that backtracking is necessary. Some turn of the wood needed to be undone, remade. And so the party does, one, two times. Then in a strike of poetic justice it is Sunny, the one in the group that was targeted and hurt the most by the curse, who notice where to move the pieces. It was strange. Moments before she could do little more than to keep up with the discoveries of the others but now everything seemed to fall into place so effortlessly, so naturally.
Silently and hopeful the adventurers watched as the kotoribako was being solved. At the turn of its last junction a loud click echoed through the air and sudden pulse of darkness emanated from the box with a horrid, loud and pain riddled screech – something like the death cry of a flying beast. A large flying beast. Maybe because Scarpaldi mentioned a magic trap, but everyone’s first instinct was to try and shield their bodies with their arms. Braced for impact, for a jolt of entropic energy, to those who experienced the touch of the Gallow Speakers on the magnificent mansion, but surprisingly enough nothing happened. The wave of grim force simply passes through them and dispersed as the cursed item fell over itself. Blood and putrid meat spilling over the hands of those who held the puzzle.
A shiver crawls over your spines and all of you feel sickened, dirty. For a moment the feeling is almost overwhelming, but then it starts to subdue and disappears. Even you, Sunny, no longer feel unwell. The curse was undone. Now a question remained: what to do next? Somewhere in the city, on a rich villa or an ancient mansion, behind the walls of a castle, a child was saved. Who knows? Your actions may have saved Waterdeep itself, for who can say how far would the malediction have become if the seven sacrifices were taken. But no one knew that and there was the whole incident on the Gundwynd estate. Your names were yet to be cleaned.
Notes: You have solved the puzzle box, opening it and revealing its gruesome contents. The curse has undone and you are free to decide what to do next.
Amadi wiped the putrid meat and blood as best as he could from his hands. "That, at least, is done. No small task itself. But who will believe us?" He considers a moment and continues. "We must take what is left of this box and bring it to Captain Araumur Ironwood. We investigated upon his request."
Sweeps steps forward with his maul raised as his companions open the box “Is it over? Can I break it now?" He looks at the others, still a little unsteady on his feet “We still need to find who created this box and is behind the curse, but I need healing first.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Yes, to that, I can help some." Sunny moves to him quickly, using her healing skills on him first. "I can work as we travel, we must get back to the Captain that hired us, for some reason I feel he is the only one we could trust. I will tend to any of you that I can as we go." (she's already used her skills on Amadi since last rest so he is the only one she wouldn't be able to use the feat on)
“Yes-a, this threat is-a taken care of. But who is-a behind the curse and-a what proof do we-a have besides this-a box of-a blood and meat-a?”
He looks around at the piles of putrid corpses “These-a rotting bodies… and-a the fact that all of-a these people disappeared, should-a be proof of-a something…”
His eyes cross the body of the chained figure “That-a man in chains… perhaps he is-a the culprit? Or maybe has a clue about who he-a works for?”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sulvio slowly stands and hobbles towards the body of the chained figure. Now that the battle is over he slows down as the wounds he has sustained take their toll. He hobbled over towards the body and searches it for clues.
18 Investigation
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Noob
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Sylvio sheathes his weapons and looks up at the others “I will need-a my hands to do this. It is up-a to you to keep that-a crow from Sunny.” He then reaches into his pack and retrieves his thieves tools and bends down to search the box for traps. He flips through different implements in the tools as he searches. He uses a small mirror on a metal handle to try to shine light into the gaps and see inside. He fiddles with a small, narrow pair of scissors as he gently probes the small gap between pieces.
25 plus 3 guidance as he carefully investigates the box for traps.
Noob
Attack 1: 15
Potential Damage: 38
Attack 2: 27
Potential Damage: 25
Attack 1: 25
Damage: 2
Attack 2: 7
Damage: 2
Receiving the magic guidance from Amadi made and enjoying the benefits of his own experience and expertise it easy for Sylvio to be sure that by the weight and size of the box, by the sounds it made when shaken and moved, there was simply no way for it to contain any sort of physical mechanism. It could not possibly be trapped. Not by conventional means. Magic, though, was a different history. One that he knew very little about. Maybe, he thought, someone other in the party could check for this aspect.
The follower of Gond, still enlarged, focused his attention to the moveable structure previously pointed on the kotoribako. In doing so he noticed a pattern on the wood, another moveable piece, connected to the first. He saw how to keep on solving the puzzle. Before he could share his insight, shadows emanate from the cursed item as if smoke. Everyone knows from experience, the crow was manifesting again.
Feathers spread through the air as the sound of flapping wings echoed. An horrible screech invaded your ears as the avatar of the curse appeared. Its eyes registered Sunny presence, by now together with the rest of the group, understand her position as target and retreat, gaining distance, forcing the horror move beyond Amadi’s melee range in order to reach her. Beyond that, she drops her shortswords and draw her longbow, shooting two arrows at the monster. She was hurt, grievously so, but standing and as long that was the case she would carry her weight and contribute to the fight. If Amadi failed to stop the thing, she would do it herself.
Notes: As Sunny was, on the initiative counter, higher than the crow, I gave her the chance to act before the creature attacked. Her action, though, will take place only after Amadi's (who was higher than her on the initiative counter). Any doubt, hit me up on the OOC.
@Everyone, you have the first success on finding how to move the pieces of the box. One of your characters will need to explicitly move the pieces for it to be possible to make another attempt at an Investigation or Perception check to try finding how to move the box's parts.
@Althax, Sylvio is absolutely sure the box is not physically trapped.
@Paladin, Amadi can make an attack of opportunity on the crow. Even if he fails Sunny will hit the crow and avoid its terrifying attacks.
@Everyone, after the first moveable piece discovered on the puzzle box is moved, those who know the nature of the puzzle that makes the box may attempt a Investigation or Perception check to try moving the box's parts. The DC is 20 and you will need to succeed and characters attempting it can receive help and guidance. You will need to succeed two more times to open the box.
Amadi was sure he knew the first move to try and solve the puzzle before them, but that damned crow was back again. He was ready and swung his hammer to kill it...again
Attack: 11 Damage: 17
With the blasted crow out of the picture, for a moment at least, he quickly told Sylvio what he needed to do to move the first part of the puzzle.
Sylvio looks up after his careful examination. “Sulvio is-a confident that it is not trapped by any-a physical means. I do not know-a if there are magical traps on-a it though. Is that-a something any of you can-a find?”
Amadi’s explanation makes sense and he nods before reaching out to gingerly move the pieces as suggested.
Noob
The crow’s reappearance jolts Sweeps into action as he realize that although he may be little help in solving a puzzle, he can still protect Sunny from this murderous avatar. As the crow falls to Amadi and Sunny’s attacks, Sweeps vows to be ready for the next time. He moves to stand in front of Sunny, his maul ready for the crow to spawn and attack again.
“Hurry and solve the blasted thing before that beast comes back” he urges Sylvio and Gabriel
Readied attack against crow: Attack: 22 Damage: 11
Attack: 26 Damage: 14.
.
With Sweeps standing guard Amadi continues to try and figure out the puzzle with the help of the others.
26 + guidance 4
Sunny peers around Sweeps' form, utilizing his protection but trying to assist. Exhaustion evident in her already harsh speech, "What if you turn it just to the left there?" She says pointing slightly, patting Chewy with her other hand.
Perception 17 attempt.
As Sylvio worries about magical trappings both Sunny and Amadi work on solving the puzzle. The first slice of wood is easy to move and so is the second and third. A moment of doubt comes from the fourth - it seemed possible to place in one of two directions. Sunny points a side, but sliding the piece there shows no result. An attempt not wasted, for it eliminated a wrong possibility, making it easy for an Amadi calling on the guidance of Gond to find the next step in solving the puzzle.
He turns the puzzle one time then another and one more. Everything seems to fall in place and no spellcraft seems to take place. The concentration costs him the time to react were the crow to appear, but Sweeps was ready. The creature moved in the air, but appeared on reach from the ground. And appeared suddenly. At any moment, the barbarian knew, it could manifest again. Yet it did not. A fact noticed by everyone in the party. But why would it take so long? Clack. The sound of a piece of the box moving broke the silence, almost as if answering the question. Solving the puzzle. Its simple process seemed to interfere with the avatar of the curse. That was a good omen, the first on a while. Isao was probably right. If they broke that damn thing open they could stop its effects.
Notes: Welcome back, Jynne. Any doubt, hit me up on the OOC.
@Everyone, you have the second success on finding how to move the pieces of the box. One of your characters will need to explicitly move the pieces for it to be possible to make another attempt at an Investigation or Perception check to try finding how to move the box's parts.
@Everyone, for brevity's sake I assumed Amadi moved the pieces referent to both the Perception check successes. Now any character may attempt a Investigation or Perception check to try moving the box's parts. The DC is 20 and you will one last to open the box. Characters attempting it can receive help and guidance.
Sylvio nods as the others point out suggestions and help move pieces. The slow return of the crow also makes him believe that they are making progress.
”Nearly there-a now.”
His forehead beads with sweat as he focuses intently on the box searching for the correct movement that should occur next 21 investigation plus 3 guidance.
The sweat stings his eyes and he frustratingly wipe it away. It continues to sting and blur his vision, making the investigation even more difficult.
Noob
Sunny keeps another of her friends between herself and the box avoiding handling it directly as she suspects that it still contains dangers for her.
"As we study this malevolent thing, shall we position ourselves perhaps a little more defensively?"
She utters several commands to Chewy and he dutifully sits guard observing sky and passageways with keen eyes. perception 23 PP 16 then wraps up the vicious looking wounds about her neck.
@DM could our pause to study this box warrant a short rest? (otherwise we all could use some healing) and Healer's Feat on herself for 1d6+4+patient's HD of healing 15
"Right, there we go. That piece moves there and now this one." Amadi says giving directions as he sees how the puzzle box seems to work. He looks at what they have accomplished. "This seems to be working. Let me take another look." Again studying the box and the moveable pieces he whispers a prayer to Gond for guidance and with the help of the others tries to figure the last bit out.
26 + 3
Directing the others to what he thinks is the correct movement me looks on hopeful that they have accomplished the feat.
Gabriel stares at the device as the puzzle starts to unlock, the answer seeming so obvious now. Offering Guidance wherever required, he otherwise keeps a lookout for any sign of danger.
Perception 22
Through Gabriel and Amadi the guidance of both Lathander and Gond were brought upon the party. Even the failed attempts of solving the puzzle seemed to help, eliminating possibilities, making it easier to notice the right answer. Then all progress halt. Sylvio understands that backtracking is necessary. Some turn of the wood needed to be undone, remade. And so the party does, one, two times. Then in a strike of poetic justice it is Sunny, the one in the group that was targeted and hurt the most by the curse, who notice where to move the pieces. It was strange. Moments before she could do little more than to keep up with the discoveries of the others but now everything seemed to fall into place so effortlessly, so naturally.
Silently and hopeful the adventurers watched as the kotoribako was being solved. At the turn of its last junction a loud click echoed through the air and sudden pulse of darkness emanated from the box with a horrid, loud and pain riddled screech – something like the death cry of a flying beast. A large flying beast. Maybe because Scarpaldi mentioned a magic trap, but everyone’s first instinct was to try and shield their bodies with their arms. Braced for impact, for a jolt of entropic energy, to those who experienced the touch of the Gallow Speakers on the magnificent mansion, but surprisingly enough nothing happened. The wave of grim force simply passes through them and dispersed as the cursed item fell over itself. Blood and putrid meat spilling over the hands of those who held the puzzle.
A shiver crawls over your spines and all of you feel sickened, dirty. For a moment the feeling is almost overwhelming, but then it starts to subdue and disappears. Even you, Sunny, no longer feel unwell. The curse was undone. Now a question remained: what to do next? Somewhere in the city, on a rich villa or an ancient mansion, behind the walls of a castle, a child was saved. Who knows? Your actions may have saved Waterdeep itself, for who can say how far would the malediction have become if the seven sacrifices were taken. But no one knew that and there was the whole incident on the Gundwynd estate. Your names were yet to be cleaned.
Notes: You have solved the puzzle box, opening it and revealing its gruesome contents. The curse has undone and you are free to decide what to do next.
Amadi wiped the putrid meat and blood as best as he could from his hands. "That, at least, is done. No small task itself. But who will believe us?" He considers a moment and continues. "We must take what is left of this box and bring it to Captain Araumur Ironwood. We investigated upon his request."
Sweeps steps forward with his maul raised as his companions open the box “Is it over? Can I break it now?" He looks at the others, still a little unsteady on his feet “We still need to find who created this box and is behind the curse, but I need healing first.”
"Yes, to that, I can help some." Sunny moves to him quickly, using her healing skills on him first. "I can work as we travel, we must get back to the Captain that hired us, for some reason I feel he is the only one we could trust. I will tend to any of you that I can as we go." (she's already used her skills on Amadi since last rest so he is the only one she wouldn't be able to use the feat on)
Healer's feat on Sweeps healing 14
“Yes-a, this threat is-a taken care of. But who is-a behind the curse and-a what proof do we-a have besides this-a box of-a blood and meat-a?”
He looks around at the piles of putrid corpses “These-a rotting bodies… and-a the fact that all of-a these people disappeared, should-a be proof of-a something…”
His eyes cross the body of the chained figure “That-a man in chains… perhaps he is-a the culprit? Or maybe has a clue about who he-a works for?”
Noob
Sulvio slowly stands and hobbles towards the body of the chained figure. Now that the battle is over he slows down as the wounds he has sustained take their toll. He hobbled over towards the body and searches it for clues.
18 Investigation
Noob