Using the telescope Seraphina sees that there are no dragons in the Outer Ward but 8 human cultists with a slightly different uniforms with a more open back and for a split second you see they have spectral wings of a dragon.
It is clear they created the soft thuds as they landed in the Outer Ward. They begin flying towards the Astronomy Tower with longswords unsheathed
After Dralmorrer reveals a potential route out of the trap they find themselves ensnared in, Thrax looks down at his new companions, disquieted eyes searching for confirmation that the route outlined truly exists. "Do you know the way? The way Dralmorrer speaks?"
"Yes," Ixsas answers Thrax, "I think so. We saw the door to the Dining Hall (Q) when we came through the courtyard to get into this tower. It sounds like it's a pretty straight-shot from there, but it almost certainly means walking through a couple of rooms filled with the cult members and their bullywug or lizardfolk guards." Ixsas expects that the guards and maybe the regular cultists congregate in the Dining Hall when they're not on guard duty. It'll be best if they can use deception to get past them and into the caverns before they're discovered. Of course, that assumes that the party can figure out an alternate exit via the caverns.
"The chests. If they are not trapped. Put the not trapped ones in a bag. I can carry them. We open them later."
((OOC: I think that the chests are linked to one another like pearls on a necklace (post #3711). I'm not sure whether there's a way to take the chests with no trap (#4 and #6) without also taking the chests that are still trapped (#2 and #5). Thrax and Zeds already opened chests #1 and #3.))
@Weathervision - Were any of the cultists who were defending this tower with Dralmorrer or who attacked it earlier wearing the dragon mask, like the one Zeds has?
The young blonde selûnite hurries downstairs again and shares with the others what she saw through the magical tiliskub. "I have the impression they have decided to not leave Dralmorrer to his interrogation any longer. We should move, now. Take what you can and get going." She adds with urgency in her tone.
"Well try to close the roof!" Zeds spits out more annoyedly than he intended, but it also came out weaker than intended as well so it is kind of a wash.
"But even if they get in, least it's not the throng of lizard folk and bullywugs?" he offers meekly. "If the flyers get in I suggest we try to deceive them with Sera's magic first, then use the real Drally as a bargaining chip if we must. Fight as last resort... still less than the numbers below us..."
"Meanwhile, let's see if these contain anything worthwhile... or try to." That said, despite his shaking Zeds goes to the chests once more. The first and third have been opened (300gp and a 1k gold bar - anyone note those yet?). The fourth and sixth chests are only locked at this point, it is believed. The fourth because he took the trap already, the sixth seems untrapped. He tries those first...
((Obviously if Sera or someone doesn't run up to close the roof and/or try to deceive the flyers, then this all is moot and Zeds runs with everyone else or whatever that plan is. But if we're trying closing and deception first, then he has some time for this?)
Attempt to pick locks of #4 and then #6
18 and then 16 (I think I was offered Guidance for these? If so add 1 and 3 respectively?)
If he fails at unlocking either (or both) he calls Ixsas over. "I can't get the lock done... You may as well break it open. No traps so that should be safe enough..."
Then Zeds calls for Thrax to drag Drallmorer over. "Sit him down right next to me. I'll try to undo the traps but if I fail I want him just as in front of it as I am..."
((I'll not roll for the trapped ones yet as I don't want to get too far into the IF this then THAT weeds. This is all kind of theoretical on us not running immediately already...))
Seraphina is taken a bit aback by the response from the rogue, but quickly turns and hurries up the stairs again, turning into the spitting image of their prisoner while hoping to be able to close off the entrance at the roof before the winged cultists enter the tower while the last chests are being looted.
"Hurry. Let us hurry. No more waiting."Thrax insists, feeling the urgency of the moment."We must go. Go with Seraphina. They may not believe her magic."
The dragonborn spares no more glances at the chests or the potential treasures contained within them. Instead he hurries after the Selunite, taking huge, bounding strides as he ascends the steps. Dralmorrer dangles helplessly, wrapped beneath one massive scaled bicep, a clawed hand clamped firmly over the captive's mouth.
As Thrax approaches the top floor of the Astronomy Tower, halts in the winding stairwell, hidden and out of view, yet close enough to catch voices emanating from above.
As the flying cultist were not dashing Seraphina had time to close the dome Shutters before any enter.
What do you do next?
Most likely they will move towards the astronomy towers entrance on the 1st floor. The party will have to act fast, but they can leave if they want to.
"Sit him down right next to me," Zeds says weekly as he stuffs what he found into his backpack. ((He'll let Ixsas grab two healing and the murky potions if he is still nearby, keeping to healing and the small badge for his own holdings.)) "I'll try to undo the traps but if I fail I want him just as in front of it as I am..." But looking to Thrax, Zeds realizes that he was concentrating on the chests so far that the Dragonborn and their prisoner were already halfway up the stairs.
Chests #2 and #5 remain mysteries. Zeds is focused pretty hard on the chests and, combined with the effects of being poisoned, he's kind of oblivious to what the others are doing. He knows he told Sera to go upstairs and all but his focus is elsewhere so unless Ixsas is going to drag him away (upstairs or down) or they return from upstairs to do so, Zeds will just try the last to remaining chests...
((Will wait to roll to see if others allow him to or not so that the rolls don't influence the decisions...))
((OOC: Lots of interleaving posts today! I think that I'll wait until tomorrow so that @Oberon99 can catch up.
((OOC: FYI - unplanned issue popped up at work today. I've been pretty slammed all day, and I won't be able to post much until late tonight or tomorrow morning.))
He knows he told Sera to go upstairs and all but his focus is elsewhere so unless Ixsas is going to drag him away (upstairs or down) or they return from upstairs to do so, Zeds will just try the last to remaining chests...
((Will wait to roll to see if others allow him to or not so that the rolls don't influence the decisions...))
((OOC: Based on what has been posted, let's say that Ixsas stayed with Zeds on the 2nd floor, trying to listen for whether he needs to rush upstairs to help Seraphina or help Zeds downstairs to get out of the tower and into the caverns.))
Ixsas takes the 3 potions.
If there is sufficient time, Ixsas will not prevent Zeds from attempting to open another chest. He sometimes recommends "a wiser course of action," especially when he worries that Zeds's riskier schemes will put the whole party in danger. But he has to admit that many of Zeds's risky plans have actually worked! Maybe not exactly as Zeds planned, but well enough to be called a success.
Ixsas again reminds Zeds that Krackle is quite nimble and also knows how to uses these "thieves' tools." He counsels, "In your current state, it may be best to let the kobold try." It seems like these chests all contain either treasure or items, like the healing potions, that could be immediately useful to the party. If Zeds or Krackle are willing to risk harm to open them, Ixsas will simply provide him Guidance.
Assuming that there was time, while Seraphina and Thrax rush upstairs to deal with the that threat, and Zeds works on the chestst, Ixsas takes one more look around Dralmorrer's rooms. Are there any books or papers or a writing desk? If Dralmorrer does his work for the Cult of the Dragon here, then there may be maps or correspondence or something that could tell more about the cult's plans and operations. Or, if the caverns are less like a big cave and more like a "a maze of twisty little passages, all alike," perhaps Dralmorrer keeps a map of the caverns here.
Oh! Zeds also looks for a sack or pillowcase or anything that they can use as a hood to cover Dralmorrer's head. He thinks that if they're going down to the caverns, they may still need Dralmorrer's help. Since they've stripped Dralmorrer of his armor and weapons, Ixsas figures that they could just gag the real Dralmorrer and put a hood over his head, and Thrax could carry him down to the caverns with them. Seraphina-Dralmorrer already told the other guards earlier that they were interrogating a prisoner, so it shouldn't be that suspicious when Seraphina-Dralmorrer and a couple of cultists head down to the caverns with a bound and hooded prisoner.
As plans are made the egg strapped to Krackle begins wobbling. He quickly places the egg down whispering in draconic "Oh little one this is not a good time to hatch."
With that the shell splits with a wet, tearing sound a noise like rending leather under pressure. For a long moment, nothing moves but the trembling of the egg itself, slick with condensation, veins of obsidian running through its surface like cracks in cooled magma. Then a claw jagged, black as volcanic glass and glistening with mucous bursts through, curling and scraping, leaving deep gouges in the shell.
A low, guttural hiss follows, half-breath and half-growl, vibrating the air with a primal promise of hunger. The shell collapses inward, pieces falling into the steaming pile. From within, the hatchling unfurls, slick scales catching the faintest gleam of light a sheen like oil on water, swirling with hints of violet and green that vanish as quickly as they appear.
Its wings are fragile membranes of smoke and shadow, trembling as they stretch for the first time, the bones beneath them clicking faintly. Acidic fluid drips from its muzzle, sizzling where it hits the floor, filling the air with the sharp tang of burning metal and decay. The creature blinks — once, twice with eyes like molten amber, pupils narrowing to slits as it focuses on the world for the first time.
Its breathing deepens. The hatchling lifts its head, lets out a ragged, broken hiss that swells into a thin, screech barely louder than a chirp of a bird but fill with ancient promise.
Then it stills — crouched low amid the shards of its birth — and flicks its thin, whip-like tail, already tasting the air for the scent of life.
"That should hold them off for a while longer." The young blonde selûnite says with a small smile to the massive red dragonborn hiding in the staircase as she has closed off the roof entrance to the tower and dropped the guise of their prisoner. "Come, let's hope the others have finished up with the looting." She adds and hurries down the stairs again.
"By the Moonmaiden..."She gasps as she sees the immensely cute but at the same time horrifying dragon cub in the remnants of it's egg. She looks between the kobold, the rogue and the kossuthan, quite unsure how to greet this new arrival. Would it be possible to bring it along? Would it's parents come looking for it? How quickly would it's instincts take hold and make it side the enemy? "...what do we do now?"
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The key does not fit into the lock.
Using the telescope Seraphina sees that there are no dragons in the Outer Ward but 8 human cultists with a slightly different uniforms with a more open back and for a split second you see they have spectral wings of a dragon.
It is clear they created the soft thuds as they landed in the Outer Ward. They begin flying towards the Astronomy Tower with longswords unsheathed
"Yes," Ixsas answers Thrax, "I think so. We saw the door to the Dining Hall (Q) when we came through the courtyard to get into this tower. It sounds like it's a pretty straight-shot from there, but it almost certainly means walking through a couple of rooms filled with the cult members and their bullywug or lizardfolk guards." Ixsas expects that the guards and maybe the regular cultists congregate in the Dining Hall when they're not on guard duty. It'll be best if they can use deception to get past them and into the caverns before they're discovered. Of course, that assumes that the party can figure out an alternate exit via the caverns.
((OOC: I think that the chests are linked to one another like pearls on a necklace (post #3711). I'm not sure whether there's a way to take the chests with no trap (#4 and #6) without also taking the chests that are still trapped (#2 and #5). Thrax and Zeds already opened chests #1 and #3.))
@Weathervision - Were any of the cultists who were defending this tower with Dralmorrer or who attacked it earlier wearing the dragon mask, like the one Zeds has?
No none of the cultist in the tower wore masks.
To take 1 chest you would need to break the chain.
The young blonde selûnite hurries downstairs again and shares with the others what she saw through the magical tiliskub. "I have the impression they have decided to not leave Dralmorrer to his interrogation any longer. We should move, now. Take what you can and get going." She adds with urgency in her tone.
"Well try to close the roof!" Zeds spits out more annoyedly than he intended, but it also came out weaker than intended as well so it is kind of a wash.
"But even if they get in, least it's not the throng of lizard folk and bullywugs?" he offers meekly. "If the flyers get in I suggest we try to deceive them with Sera's magic first, then use the real Drally as a bargaining chip if we must. Fight as last resort... still less than the numbers below us..."
"Meanwhile, let's see if these contain anything worthwhile... or try to." That said, despite his shaking Zeds goes to the chests once more. The first and third have been opened (300gp and a 1k gold bar - anyone note those yet?). The fourth and sixth chests are only locked at this point, it is believed. The fourth because he took the trap already, the sixth seems untrapped. He tries those first...
((Obviously if Sera or someone doesn't run up to close the roof and/or try to deceive the flyers, then this all is moot and Zeds runs with everyone else or whatever that plan is. But if we're trying closing and deception first, then he has some time for this?)
Attempt to pick locks of #4 and then #6
18 and then 16
(I think I was offered Guidance for these? If so add 1 and 3 respectively?)
If he fails at unlocking either (or both) he calls Ixsas over. "I can't get the lock done... You may as well break it open. No traps so that should be safe enough..."
Then Zeds calls for Thrax to drag Drallmorer over. "Sit him down right next to me. I'll try to undo the traps but if I fail I want him just as in front of it as I am..."
((I'll not roll for the trapped ones yet as I don't want to get too far into the IF this then THAT weeds. This is all kind of theoretical on us not running immediately already...))
((Grrr, rolls not showing up. Least not as I type this. So will try on character sheet... but I guess use above if they show up?))
Lock #4 is 5 or
8+3 (1d4 from guidance) +8 (dex mod+prof bonus) for 16Lock #6 is 3 or
19+4 (1d4 from guidance) +8 (dex mod+prof bonus) for 15((OOC: Yes, I put one chest with both the 300 gp and gold bar on the Party Inventory. You should be able to see it on your sheet.))
Chest 4 opens
4 standard quality healing potions. 1 potion bottle filled with some type of murky oil.
Chest 6 opens
A small badge
Seraphina is taken a bit aback by the response from the rogue, but quickly turns and hurries up the stairs again, turning into the spitting image of their prisoner while hoping to be able to close off the entrance at the roof before the winged cultists enter the tower while the last chests are being looted.
"Hurry. Let us hurry. No more waiting." Thrax insists, feeling the urgency of the moment. "We must go. Go with Seraphina. They may not believe her magic."
The dragonborn spares no more glances at the chests or the potential treasures contained within them. Instead he hurries after the Selunite, taking huge, bounding strides as he ascends the steps. Dralmorrer dangles helplessly, wrapped beneath one massive scaled bicep, a clawed hand clamped firmly over the captive's mouth.
As Thrax approaches the top floor of the Astronomy Tower, halts in the winding stairwell, hidden and out of view, yet close enough to catch voices emanating from above.
As the flying cultist were not dashing Seraphina had time to close the dome Shutters before any enter.
What do you do next?
Most likely they will move towards the astronomy towers entrance on the 1st floor. The party will have to act fast, but they can leave if they want to.
"Sit him down right next to me," Zeds says weekly as he stuffs what he found into his backpack. ((He'll let Ixsas grab two healing and the murky potions if he is still nearby, keeping to healing and the small badge for his own holdings.)) "I'll try to undo the traps but if I fail I want him just as in front of it as I am..." But looking to Thrax, Zeds realizes that he was concentrating on the chests so far that the Dragonborn and their prisoner were already halfway up the stairs.
Chests #2 and #5 remain mysteries. Zeds is focused pretty hard on the chests and, combined with the effects of being poisoned, he's kind of oblivious to what the others are doing. He knows he told Sera to go upstairs and all but his focus is elsewhere so unless Ixsas is going to drag him away (upstairs or down) or they return from upstairs to do so, Zeds will just try the last to remaining chests...
((Will wait to roll to see if others allow him to or not so that the rolls don't influence the decisions...))
((OOC: FYI - unplanned issue popped up at work today. I've been pretty slammed all day, and I won't be able to post much until late tonight or tomorrow morning.))
((OOC: Based on what has been posted, let's say that Ixsas stayed with Zeds on the 2nd floor, trying to listen for whether he needs to rush upstairs to help Seraphina or help Zeds downstairs to get out of the tower and into the caverns.))
Ixsas takes the 3 potions.
If there is sufficient time, Ixsas will not prevent Zeds from attempting to open another chest. He sometimes recommends "a wiser course of action," especially when he worries that Zeds's riskier schemes will put the whole party in danger. But he has to admit that many of Zeds's risky plans have actually worked! Maybe not exactly as Zeds planned, but well enough to be called a success.
Ixsas again reminds Zeds that Krackle is quite nimble and also knows how to uses these "thieves' tools." He counsels, "In your current state, it may be best to let the kobold try." It seems like these chests all contain either treasure or items, like the healing potions, that could be immediately useful to the party. If Zeds or Krackle are willing to risk harm to open them, Ixsas will simply provide him Guidance.
Assuming that there was time, while Seraphina and Thrax rush upstairs to deal with the that threat, and Zeds works on the chestst, Ixsas takes one more look around Dralmorrer's rooms. Are there any books or papers or a writing desk? If Dralmorrer does his work for the Cult of the Dragon here, then there may be maps or correspondence or something that could tell more about the cult's plans and operations. Or, if the caverns are less like a big cave and more like a "a maze of twisty little passages, all alike," perhaps Dralmorrer keeps a map of the caverns here.
Perception / Investigation: 9 (Ixsas has the same bonus in both skills.)
Oh! Zeds also looks for a sack or pillowcase or anything that they can use as a hood to cover Dralmorrer's head. He thinks that if they're going down to the caverns, they may still need Dralmorrer's help. Since they've stripped Dralmorrer of his armor and weapons, Ixsas figures that they could just gag the real Dralmorrer and put a hood over his head, and Thrax could carry him down to the caverns with them. Seraphina-Dralmorrer already told the other guards earlier that they were interrogating a prisoner, so it shouldn't be that suspicious when Seraphina-Dralmorrer and a couple of cultists head down to the caverns with a bound and hooded prisoner.
Ixsas easily finds a pillowcase.
As plans are made the egg strapped to Krackle begins wobbling. He quickly places the egg down whispering in draconic "Oh little one this is not a good time to hatch."
With that the shell splits with a wet, tearing sound a noise like rending leather under pressure. For a long moment, nothing moves but the trembling of the egg itself, slick with condensation, veins of obsidian running through its surface like cracks in cooled magma. Then a claw jagged, black as volcanic glass and glistening with mucous bursts through, curling and scraping, leaving deep gouges in the shell.
A low, guttural hiss follows, half-breath and half-growl, vibrating the air with a primal promise of hunger. The shell collapses inward, pieces falling into the steaming pile. From within, the hatchling unfurls, slick scales catching the faintest gleam of light a sheen like oil on water, swirling with hints of violet and green that vanish as quickly as they appear.
Its wings are fragile membranes of smoke and shadow, trembling as they stretch for the first time, the bones beneath them clicking faintly. Acidic fluid drips from its muzzle, sizzling where it hits the floor, filling the air with the sharp tang of burning metal and decay. The creature blinks — once, twice with eyes like molten amber, pupils narrowing to slits as it focuses on the world for the first time.
Its breathing deepens. The hatchling lifts its head, lets out a ragged, broken hiss that swells into a thin, screech barely louder than a chirp of a bird but fill with ancient promise.
Then it stills — crouched low amid the shards of its birth — and flicks its thin, whip-like tail, already tasting the air for the scent of life.
"That should hold them off for a while longer." The young blonde selûnite says with a small smile to the massive red dragonborn hiding in the staircase as she has closed off the roof entrance to the tower and dropped the guise of their prisoner. "Come, let's hope the others have finished up with the looting." She adds and hurries down the stairs again.
"By the Moonmaiden..." She gasps as she sees the immensely cute but at the same time horrifying dragon cub in the remnants of it's egg. She looks between the kobold, the rogue and the kossuthan, quite unsure how to greet this new arrival. Would it be possible to bring it along? Would it's parents come looking for it? How quickly would it's instincts take hold and make it side the enemy? "...what do we do now?"