The Long Road of the Mage King (Game Thread)

"You might be right, to the portal everyone!" Gash helps Bulwark up to his feet.

Can Dog tell from what direction the sounds are coming? If it's clearly just one hallway, he'll risk a quick look down another to try to get a sense of the rest of the maze. But if he can't tell, or it seems like it's coming from a few places, he'll eagerly help others get to the green teleportation room. (Perception 6)

Also filing away that Dog still has inspiration to use for the next ten mins because I will forget.

(Yeesh that's a bad roll, probably not worth adding inspiration to!)

Are there any shards near Stones that he can pick up? 

Either way, Stones quickly stows his bagpipes and draws both of his scimitars.  He’ll wait until the others start moving and Tock rejoins the group before moving to the portal himself. 

Dog sees Stones look around for shards and says, "good idea."

Bulwark has one shard and Dog grabs the other. The sounds are coming from the same direction that the last minotaur came from..the passageway right next to Dog which leads to a stairway going down. The passageway across the pool (leading east) ends at a door. And the passageway heading north splits off to the right immediately and then turns right after about 20 more feet.

Bulwark is on his feet with 1 HP. If there  is nothing else, I'll move everyone to the portal next?

"Can we block this passageway somehow? Do we want to?" Dog asks over his shoulder as he dashes quickly to the north passage to look around the corner (and unless there's something interesting there, he'll double back and follow to the green teleportation room. "I'm just going to check here real quick -- keep moving."

(OOC: for healing, we had 40 goodberries and 5 healing potions, one being a greater. I don't know the status of all of them. Dog kept one but distributed the rest to Gash, FeyTok, Keyrie, and Tock before we went in. I guess Dog kept two because Keyrie didn't go in. I know Dog gave 9 goodberries to Bulwark and Gash gave 1, so we have 30 left. I don't know if anyone actually drank any of the potions? I tried to give one to FeyTok but I'm not sure if he actually drank it.)

(Bulwark has actually had 11 goodberries now. No potions used yet.)

Dog finds a dead end immediately around the corner to the north. Rather than be caught alone, he catches up to everyone who has already disappeared into the green aura...

...which turns yellow this time, bringing everyone into a square room with two exits, one leading to a door and the other to a set of stairs leading down. Two roars echo through the dungeon, one very close and one more distant.

"Oh geez, not more... do we teleport again?"

(That escalated quickly... but OK)

Tock says "Let me have a quick look down the stairs."

He rubs his hands together a couple of times and mutters to himself, "Mystra help me" (casting Guidance on himself) and then takes off down the stairs as quietly as he can. (stealth check: 20)

Tock successfully creeps down the stairs without calling any attention to himself. He sees a passage split off to the left (heading east) and then the passage turns the corner (heading west.)

Before he can turn and report back, a third crystal minotaur stomps into view, coming from the east passage and only 25 feet away from Tock!

(I will only roll initiative if you want to fight, but Tock can move first if he wishes to escape instead.)

Tock shouts "FOUND ONE, LETS LEAVE!"

He then casts Light on the weapon the minotaur is wielding, having it (hopefully, dex save 14) give off green light!

And then runs to the portal.

DEX(14): 4

Tock easily enchants the greataxe that the construct is wielding before running into the yellow aura.

(Assuming everyone follows suit here as I can't imagine many other options people would care to try. Correct me if I assumed wrong.)

Everyone steps out of the yellow aura in turn and then back into it as the minotaur rounds the corner and begins climbing the stairs. Each reappears in a familiar room with a pink aura adjacent to a space colored by orange light. In the very far distance, two roars resonate through the dungeon.

Stones says “alright, more fun time. But when we get to the next portal NOBODY LEAVE THE ROOM!” and steps out of the portal room and steps back in after Tock. Once there, he tells Tock “don’t leave the room! If whatever enters here immediately teleports, the Minotaurs might not be able to get in! We can catch a breath!”

If everyone follows, then I repeat what I said to Tock.

"We can certainly try that, Stones... Everyone game? get to the next portal!" Gash follows Tock and while running conjures 10lbs of butter and carries it like a baby.

Bulwark:

Dog, still catching his breath from the whirlwind teleporting, pauses in the pink light. "Gash, it would be amazing right now to have Friend to go scout ahead for us. Is this yellow light also a teleporter? Perhaps we could hop right into the yellow if we see a minotaur coming, and take a breather?"

What do the walls, ceilings, and floors look like? Are they hewn stone tiles? Carved walls like in a mine? Dog's looking at them to see if they could be moved, if there are possible secret doors, and if there's a way to break out at all. And he's going to take another close, tactile look at the teleportation areas themselves to see if there's anything interesting on the floors, in the ceilings, walls, on the glowing columns, etc. (Investigation: 9 second roll in case someone wants to help for advantage 5)

“It would be nice but since the attack in the city walls he’s been gone. I don’t have any of the materials to bring him back yet.”

"Here help me look at the walls, staying in the teleportation room. Do you think we could move them at all? Might there be secret doors, or a way above this maze into the ceiling?"

Gash looks around with Dog's help.

investigation: 16