Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

"The bones are too old to say anything," finally sighed Meili stepping away from the bones. She picked up the vial, though - an extra container is always useful.

"To be honest, Ran's plan about throwing the bones sounds safer, if a bit disrespectful. Or I can try the boomerang first?" Meili returned to the inner entrance of the room and even stepped a couple of steps down the stairs.

Danica freezes as Velan and herself see the glyphs, glad for the wizard's quick reaction in pointing it out to the others. "Do you know what they do though?" Grimacing as Velan shook his head, the elf looks over the others as they inspect the body in the water. "Assuming it's not linked to a living person getting near... It's worth a shot. Maybe you an Ran can drag it far enough back and then heft it over to the glyph from a safe distance away?" She says to Mica after Ran's suggestion. 

As Hew speaks up of tripping the possible trap, Danica is quick to lay a hand on his shoulder before patting it with an easy chuckle, "Maybe someone who's knees stand out of the water should do it, dwarf." Attempting to cover her concern in a joke. "Ran, I can help you with a Blessing from Selune to trip it if the bone tossing doesn't work." Shrugging at Meili's concern about being disrespectful. "We're at least giving the poor sap a use after life. I'll be entirely respectful of them and whoever they were if they manage to save us from getting hurt from this trap. Not entirely sure the boomerang would work and even if so, don't wanna ruin yer shiny new toy." Danica grins at the monk. 

Ran looks over at Mica and then nods at the bones. Then raises an eyebrow at the vial.

"Maybe they poisoned themselves once they figured out what was what here," Ran says. Then he looks back at the bones and to Mica. "Feet or head?"

Without waiting, Ran lifts up the shoulders of the skeleton being as gentle as possible to keep it from falling apart and then with Ran's help, tosses it against the glyph and the door.

Danica would motion all the Seekers back as far as they could on the opposite side of the room before clapping Ran on the back to give him Guidance. 

With haste and grim dignity, the bones of leal Senti Thamami, soar through the air to clash and clatter against the heavy stone doors.  The skeleton looses cohesion and the bones scatter and splash back into the murky water.  The sound echoes for a few moments until silence returns.  

There is no other effect.

Ran stares at the skeleton as it break apart and sinks into the water.

"You know," Ran says, "that went about as well as could be expected."

He then looks over at Mica and shrugs.

"Take a step back in case this doesn't go as well."

If Mica steps back to join the others, and while he's the only one near the door, and Danica's gift of energy still waits to be used, Ran will try and just open the door.

"I see what you meant by true reckless," whispered Meili under her breath, making one more step back. She was ready to return momentarily to get the potentially injured out (unfortunately, for the moment it was all she would be capable of) and waited for the result of Ran's experiment with quite an anticipation.

Ran, you will need to make an athletics check against DC 18 to loosen or break the posts preventing the doors from opening.

And how far is everyone moving away from the door?  In feet, please.

Mica grabs the legs of the skeleton with Ran and throws it against the door as respectfully as possible, which was not very much.  Still, he shrugged as none of the Glyphs were triggered.  “Maybe they are expired?  Do magic wards expire?” He looks at Velan, eyebrows raised. 

As Ran waves him away he shakes his head “No, I will stick around.  You can’t just push these doors open.”  He points to the stone pins and pulls out his hand axe.  "But let's not be hasty, remember the last trap with the jug, look for any clues along the walls."  Mica looks around the walls, looking for any carvings or other clues that indicate where they can avoid the traps.

Perception: 20.

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((Depending on how long the chamber is or how far away the entrance is from the doors, Danica would be about thirty feet away if it's a very long / large chamber, or just at the entrance if it's a small one. Trying to stay within 30 feet of Ran.))

"Best get away from the walls and the doors for now Mica. Go ahead and trigger it Ran." Danica states with more confidence than she felt at the moment. 

"At the top of the stairs there is another turn and then you find yourselves in a low ceilinged (5') chamber with a double set of stone doors on the far wall. "

I meant for Meili to stand (herself and ask others to join her there) at the very entrance to the room from the stairs, even on the top stairs.

Ran lets Mica finish looking for other traps though he thinks they’ve already done that.

”Get clear or give me a hand, mate” Ran says, gesturing at the posts.

Athletics: 17  and second roll if Mica helps: 11  

Velan shook his head admitting his lack of knowledge about the glyphs as Inete voice echoed the meaning of his gesture. Hew was the first to suggest triggering the magic and from there the talks developed fast. The wizard wished he could offer himself to the task. As a kid he would be able to take any form of damage and remain on his feet, even if only once at day. Now even that was beyond his ability. His complexion unlikely to resist a spell. It was frustrating to stay silent and watch.

No time for emotions , the chronurgist decided clearing the way, standing as far behind as possible. His friends tried lady luck by throwing the old skeleton. It was a relief to see that nothing happened. Ran started moving posts sealing the doors while the hexblood thought of his spells. His ability to bend time, change reality even if only slightly, was already spent for the day. Silvery Barbs demanded a success to even trigger so it was unlikely to help the warrior on his endeavor. Not really a surprise, he admitted to himself. When all was said and done cursing was his specialty, not helping.

A thing to change, Velan considered deciding to focus more of his studies towards abjuration.

Notes: Velan stands as many feet behind as possible. Very last of the line.

Mica just shrugs at Ran “Let’s do this, then” He uses the heel of his hand axe to help Ran break the stone pins.  “Maybe the magic only works on the outside” he adds hopefully. 

Meili, Velan and Inete retreat back to the stairs while Danica and Hew stand 30' away from Mica and Ran as they force open the heavy stone door.

The stone pins give way and snap off under pressure from the two burly warriors.  As they grasp the heavy doors and pull them open, there is a crack of gray daylight visible between the two.  Then, as the ancient glyphs on the doors are pulled apart from one another, there is a flash, bright as the sun.

Ran and Mica, make a CON save DC 15.  On a failed save take 22 radiant damage and you are blinded for 1 hour.  On a successful save take 1/2 damage and no blinded condition.

Danica and Hew are outside the damage radius but they must also make the CON save DC 15 or suffer the blinded condition for 1 hour.

Hew CON save: 11

 The gylphys were triggered and light filled the room. With it the sensation, not entirely unfamiliar of moving still. Velan had gone through something similar before, the day he left his old home. The day of his last pact with the Crone. There was no time to speak or, maybe, he felt it was not necessary to say anything. He looked at the Seekers. Meili, so gentle and idealistic. He was sure she would mature before the darker realities of the world. Part of his mind was curious to see how she would be then. Ran, strong and noble, far more than any knight of high birth and fortune. The wizard could only hope they fight together in the future. Mica, the swift and precise marksman. He made for a companion few travelling the wilderness wouldn’t wish by their side. The last one he saw was Danica. She was wise already and could grow wiser still. It would be matter of time

Maybe, he thought closing his eyes and accepting the displacement, I will meet them again. The hexblood wouldn’t be dissatisfied if it were ever to happen. With some time they would have become friends. True friends. That’s not so bad, he said with the voice of his mind unsure if he was becoming too sentimental.

“Fare thee well.” Velan said in a last whisper.

Ran had expected something bad to happen when they got those doors open but he still wasn't prepared when it happened. The light was blinding. Even closing his eyes didn't seem to diminish the intensity of the blast of magical light.

He draws deep from the well of strength he's gathered over the course of this trip so far and steels himself against the blast as best he can.

Ran Con Save (w/ Advantage from Inspiration): 23  

Danica CON Save: 2

Mica CON Save (w/advantage from Inspiration) 14.

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Quote from LAXGunner >>

Mica CON Save (w/advantage from Inspiration) 17.

 

Mica groans with effort as the stone pins give way under the combined efforts of he and Ran.  He gets a tantalizing glimpse of the outside world before it is erased in a bright, blinding light.  Thrown back from the door, he lies on his back in the water and blinks dazzling white spots from his eyes as the ceiling comes into focus. He aches all over and struggles to push himself up. “No, it definitely works from the inside as well.  Is everyone alright?”