Xymox lifts his head from the faint, melodic hum he’d been coaxing from his violin. The bow stills mid-air as his crimson eyes find Starker. A quiet smirk curls at the corner of his mouth.
“Very well, maestro of mayhem,” he says softly, voice a low drawl laced with dry amusement. “The stage is set, the air tingles with doom, and my part in this grim symphony awaits. Strike your fork, and let the dead come dancing.”
He inclines his head with a slow, deliberate nod—equal parts reverence and irony. “I am ready.”
<Starker, tuning fork in one hand, metal tongs in the other, stands by the plinth, looking to Sir Chadwick for tactical instructions and/or the go ahead.>
The Company had bravely proceeded into the Tomb of Illiandil, seeking to serve justice upon the lich believed to be dwelling within. Starker found a secret door from the entry chamber and through that they went. A pool of bones greeted them in the next room with a raised platform supporting a magic circle. The circle seems empowered to activate *some* spell if the energy of a spell slot is channeled through it.
From here they proceeded to the Cursing Carvings. Large faces carved into the wall of a chamber that has a bottomless pit in the middle. A narrow walkway crosses the pit. The walls and ceiling are enchanted to prevent them from being used to walk upon. Chadwick crossed and explored to the next room finding a fountain with the invitation, "Come! Drink from the Waters of Life." He declined the invitation. An attempt to cross was undertaken after one of the faces blew a gust of wind at Sgòthmothan when it crossed. Various applications of ropes and securing them to characters and the construct were performed. At one point, the construct was holding Chadwick and Trolkarl aloft over the bottomless pit to keep them from falling. They recovered until the construct was blown off of the walkway. Trolkarl cut the rope and the construct disappeared into the depths. Was it mentioned that the pit was bottomless?
Another hall was chosen. A niche in this hall has a painting hanging. It depicts a wizard hovering above the pavers of the ziggurat above. Before him are many of the guardian Mukbok Warriors you encountered there, all kneeling before the wizard. Chadwick searched behind the painting finding only a wall. He then slashed the painting with his dagger. Yartol looked on, completely unsurprised at the random act of destruction.
Further down this hall was a room with two large chests and a door. The door has runes and sigils engraved upon the iron bands that are aligned with Elemental Earth and Abjuration. None are radiating magic. Starker says with glee, "Intricate graffiti."
The right sided chest is unlocked and opened. Within is an item made of mahogany wood. It is a stylized arrow looking like a chevron with a spike attached, bisecting the angle of the chevron. One side is flat and the other side is bevelled. The other chest is opened and contains a Spell Scroll: Freedom of Movement and a large number of gold and platinum coins. All are collected.
Passing through the door, The Company encounters a sand filled, circular room. There is an inner circle accessed through gaps in the wall. Inside the inner circle is a collection lidded jars and earthenware pots. There is writing on the walls in Abyssal. You can now recognize the language, just not read it. Two other halls exit the room. The Company decides to leave this area unmolested and moves on down the first hall.
The hall ends in a door and Chadwick walks through. A small room beyond has another exiting hall and a door. To your left is a nicely made table. Two imposing statues of plate armor clad warriors with great swords stand at each end of the room. Chadwick pokes the statues, door and table with his halberd. He elicits no response. Starker searches the table finding a secret compartment containing a key. The key is used to open the door. A small closet library is found. Scrolls and books on my different topics are discovered. Starker examines these and finds Spell Scrolls: Enhance Ability and Gaseous Form, a treatise on the creation of a Winterbound Guardian as well as a Tome detailing mental exercises. He takes them all.
Continuing down the hall a large rectangular room is entered. There is a natural cave to the left and an ornate door to the right. Chadwick pokes the door with his halberd. Again, no effect. He then tries to open it, setting of a trap. A poisoned needle stabs him in the hand. He is poisoned! His Laying on Hands ability is used to cure the poison, but damage was already done. Xymox opens the lock and the door safely. Beyond is a small room with an ornate table, a silk rug with a spiral pattern and a large jade statue of a rampant lion. Lying on the table is a dark wood rod with silver and jade bands. A small jade sphere is suspended above one end of the rod and slowly rotates. Starker immediately heads for the rod. Trolkarl grabs his sleeve and holds him back. Kragen and Chadwick enter the room and Kragen picks up the rod. All hell then breaks loose. The lion statue comes to life and gives forth a mighty roar sapping the courage of the The Company and restraining several in spectral, jade chains. All leap to defend Chadwick and Kragen. The lion focuses its attacks on Kragen and nearly kills him. After Starker casts Shatter and Fireball targeting the jade lion and the rest of The Company land mighty blows, the jade lion is defeated and now is a pile of stone fragment rubble. The jade lion used its roar again during the fight. During the fight the carpet exhibited magical powers, restraining Chadwick and Kragen with spectral hands. Xymox was successful in using Dispel Magic to counter these hands.
Now The Company stands in the large rectangular room. Kragen has the mahogany and jade rod in his grubby dwarf paw. All are winded and recovering after the VERY LOUD fight with the jade lion.
as the Jade Lion is shattered into pieces, Kragen steps from the room and slumps to the floor. He is visibly pale for a mountain Dwarf, too pale. He has massive wounds from his torso and head, despite his armor. He frantically removes his backpack and rummages, pulling forth a healers kit. Begins to administer his own care, tending the worst wounds first, while prayer to Tyr for his divine healing.
channel divinity: preserve life 1 use 40hp restored
1 use of healers kit. 7+3=10 hp restored
now that he is not hemorrhaging anymore, he calms down and begins to rest and pray.
cure wounds L1. 5+8+6=19
he stands, removes the goggles from his face, looks up closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Starker:”Now don’t you wish Trokarl had let me take the device?!? I gather you are reluctant to have me possess it for the moment. While that saddens me, now is not the time nor is here the place to debate it. But, if you would suffer me to touch it for ten minutes I can tell you about its magical properties, if any.
”Also <placing platinum circlet with Illiandil’s name inscribed on head> it occurs to me that some of the traps might not trigger on those so adorned. We have enough.”
Listening to Starker, Trolkarl shakes his head, then glances at Kragen in his rough condition and shakes his head again.
I am not so sure you would have fared much better than Kragen in melee with the lion and animated rug, Starker. With all respect to your record-including the draw with Hoid. You may have been more than a little sad after being raked by a couple of paws.
And have been a little nervous after you called the staff of the void- “my staff”. I also wanted clarification about what was in there before you started moving in the room. As it is a rod and not a staff, I was over cautious. But again- maybe there was a need for caution- you could have had a really bad time with that lion.
I am fine with identifying the properties of the rod.
Starker:”Above us a 3 hour glass’ top bulb is emptying, and the lion’s roar may have summoned more opponents.
”Ponder the map I have sketched here … I suggest we retreat to the corridor of windy debate, get across, drink from the water of life fountain, and proceed. The secret door in the antechamber was there for the convenience of the propriator. I also think that we should use the magic circle in the bone room to gather a few undead skeletal servants to help us.
Starker and Cyrus settle down to examining the jade tipped rod. They set about their trinkets, gewgaws and thingamajigs is some apparent 'order' to get down to business. Yartol tenses, "Something comes." Each of you 'feel' it immediately after. Chadwick holds the Driftglobe aloft as well as Kragen his torch. From each of the halls, the shadows seem to flow out and towards you.
Xymox lifts his head from the faint, melodic hum he’d been coaxing from his violin.
The bow stills mid-air as his crimson eyes find Starker. A quiet smirk curls at the corner of his mouth.
“Very well, maestro of mayhem,” he says softly, voice a low drawl laced with dry amusement.
“The stage is set, the air tingles with doom, and my part in this grim symphony awaits. Strike your fork, and let the dead come dancing.”
He inclines his head with a slow, deliberate nod—equal parts reverence and irony.
“I am ready.”
Starker:”Sir Chadwick? Yartol?”
Yartol looks to Starker when he is asked, "This must be done prior to killing Gryndreneur? Then let us proceed."
<Starker, tuning fork in one hand, metal tongs in the other, stands by the plinth, looking to Sir Chadwick for tactical instructions and/or the go ahead.>
Illiandil's Abyss Tomb
The Company had bravely proceeded into the Tomb of Illiandil, seeking to serve justice upon the lich believed to be dwelling within. Starker found a secret door from the entry chamber and through that they went. A pool of bones greeted them in the next room with a raised platform supporting a magic circle. The circle seems empowered to activate *some* spell if the energy of a spell slot is channeled through it.
From here they proceeded to the Cursing Carvings. Large faces carved into the wall of a chamber that has a bottomless pit in the middle. A narrow walkway crosses the pit. The walls and ceiling are enchanted to prevent them from being used to walk upon. Chadwick crossed and explored to the next room finding a fountain with the invitation, "Come! Drink from the Waters of Life." He declined the invitation. An attempt to cross was undertaken after one of the faces blew a gust of wind at Sgòthmothan when it crossed. Various applications of ropes and securing them to characters and the construct were performed. At one point, the construct was holding Chadwick and Trolkarl aloft over the bottomless pit to keep them from falling. They recovered until the construct was blown off of the walkway. Trolkarl cut the rope and the construct disappeared into the depths. Was it mentioned that the pit was bottomless?
Another hall was chosen. A niche in this hall has a painting hanging. It depicts a wizard hovering above the pavers of the ziggurat above. Before him are many of the guardian Mukbok Warriors you encountered there, all kneeling before the wizard. Chadwick searched behind the painting finding only a wall. He then slashed the painting with his dagger. Yartol looked on, completely unsurprised at the random act of destruction.
Further down this hall was a room with two large chests and a door. The door has runes and sigils engraved upon the iron bands that are aligned with Elemental Earth and Abjuration. None are radiating magic. Starker says with glee, "Intricate graffiti."
The right sided chest is unlocked and opened. Within is an item made of mahogany wood. It is a stylized arrow looking like a chevron with a spike attached, bisecting the angle of the chevron. One side is flat and the other side is bevelled. The other chest is opened and contains a Spell Scroll: Freedom of Movement and a large number of gold and platinum coins. All are collected.
Passing through the door, The Company encounters a sand filled, circular room. There is an inner circle accessed through gaps in the wall. Inside the inner circle is a collection lidded jars and earthenware pots. There is writing on the walls in Abyssal. You can now recognize the language, just not read it. Two other halls exit the room. The Company decides to leave this area unmolested and moves on down the first hall.
The hall ends in a door and Chadwick walks through. A small room beyond has another exiting hall and a door. To your left is a nicely made table. Two imposing statues of plate armor clad warriors with great swords stand at each end of the room. Chadwick pokes the statues, door and table with his halberd. He elicits no response. Starker searches the table finding a secret compartment containing a key. The key is used to open the door. A small closet library is found. Scrolls and books on my different topics are discovered. Starker examines these and finds Spell Scrolls: Enhance Ability and Gaseous Form, a treatise on the creation of a Winterbound Guardian as well as a Tome detailing mental exercises. He takes them all.
Continuing down the hall a large rectangular room is entered. There is a natural cave to the left and an ornate door to the right. Chadwick pokes the door with his halberd. Again, no effect. He then tries to open it, setting of a trap. A poisoned needle stabs him in the hand. He is poisoned! His Laying on Hands ability is used to cure the poison, but damage was already done. Xymox opens the lock and the door safely. Beyond is a small room with an ornate table, a silk rug with a spiral pattern and a large jade statue of a rampant lion. Lying on the table is a dark wood rod with silver and jade bands. A small jade sphere is suspended above one end of the rod and slowly rotates. Starker immediately heads for the rod. Trolkarl grabs his sleeve and holds him back. Kragen and Chadwick enter the room and Kragen picks up the rod. All hell then breaks loose. The lion statue comes to life and gives forth a mighty roar sapping the courage of the The Company and restraining several in spectral, jade chains. All leap to defend Chadwick and Kragen. The lion focuses its attacks on Kragen and nearly kills him. After Starker casts Shatter and Fireball targeting the jade lion and the rest of The Company land mighty blows, the jade lion is defeated and now is a pile of stone fragment rubble. The jade lion used its roar again during the fight. During the fight the carpet exhibited magical powers, restraining Chadwick and Kragen with spectral hands. Xymox was successful in using Dispel Magic to counter these hands.
Now The Company stands in the large rectangular room. Kragen has the mahogany and jade rod in his grubby dwarf paw. All are winded and recovering after the VERY LOUD fight with the jade lion.
as the Jade Lion is shattered into pieces, Kragen steps from the room and slumps to the floor. He is visibly pale for a mountain Dwarf, too pale. He has massive wounds from his torso and head, despite his armor. He frantically removes his backpack and rummages, pulling forth a healers kit. Begins to administer his own care, tending the worst wounds first, while prayer to Tyr for his divine healing.
channel divinity: preserve life 1 use 40hp restored
1 use of healers kit. 7+3=10 hp restored
now that he is not hemorrhaging anymore, he calms down and begins to rest and pray.
cure wounds L1. 5+8+6=19
he stands, removes the goggles from his face, looks up closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Starker:”Now don’t you wish Trokarl had let me take the device?!? I gather you are reluctant to have me possess it for the moment. While that saddens me, now is not the time nor is here the place to debate it. But, if you would suffer me to touch it for ten minutes I can tell you about its magical properties, if any.
”Also <placing platinum circlet with Illiandil’s name inscribed on head> it occurs to me that some of the traps might not trigger on those so adorned. We have enough.”
<rituals up Identify if allowed to>
Listening to Starker, Trolkarl shakes his head, then glances at Kragen in his rough condition and shakes his head again.
I am not so sure you would have fared much better than Kragen in melee with the lion and animated rug, Starker. With all respect to your record-including the draw with Hoid. You may have been more than a little sad after being raked by a couple of paws.
And have been a little nervous after you called the staff of the void- “my staff”. I also wanted clarification about what was in there before you started moving in the room. As it is a rod and not a staff, I was over cautious. But again- maybe there was a need for caution- you could have had a really bad time with that lion.
I am fine with identifying the properties of the rod.
"I am also curious about the stylized arrow and what it might be."
Starker:”Above us a 3 hour glass’ top bulb is emptying, and the lion’s roar may have summoned more opponents.
”Ponder the map I have sketched here … I suggest we retreat to the corridor of windy debate, get across, drink from the water of life fountain, and proceed. The secret door in the antechamber was there for the convenience of the propriator. I also think that we should use the magic circle in the bone room to gather a few undead skeletal servants to help us.
”please discuss as I cast Identify”
<ritual cast identify on rod>
Starker and Cyrus settle down to examining the jade tipped rod. They set about their trinkets, gewgaws and thingamajigs is some apparent 'order' to get down to business. Yartol tenses, "Something comes." Each of you 'feel' it immediately after. Chadwick holds the Driftglobe aloft as well as Kragen his torch. From each of the halls, the shadows seem to flow out and towards you.
Starker and Xymox are first to act.
Starker moves to Chadwick, casts Protection from evil, touches Chadwick, and runs away.
Chadwick is now benefitting from Protection from Evil and Good.
Xymox to act.
Xymox targets shadow 5 and fires two shots with hand crossbows.
First: 11 (miss)
second: 17 (hit?) damage: 11
The bolt from Xymox's crossbow flies through the shadow. It ripples and shudders in response but continues to advance.
Trolkarl to act.
Trolkarl moves 20' to block the south entrance.
Attack with Darkbane
Kragen, pray that Tyr can hear your calls to turn these things in this strange land!
Trolkarl hits the shadow, destroying it with radiant damage.
Yartol casts Hunter’s Mark targeting a shadow. He then attacks. He hits twice for 19 damage.
Chadwick to act.
Chadwick activates Daylight from the drift globe.
Then moves up next to Yartol.
The shadows recoil from the bright light brought by Chadwick.
Shadows 2 and 3 move past Trolkarl to Starker. Trolkarl uses a reaction to strike shadow2 with Darkbane, badly damaging it with Radiant energy.
Shadows 2 and 3 attack Starker, to hit = 5, 15, 16, and 20. Two hits for 15 necrotic damage. His STR is reduced by 5 points.
Shadow6 moves by Chadwick and Yartol. Yartol uses his reaction to attack and scores a critical hit for 12 damage. Destroying it.
Kragen to act.