"I mean, if the door is right and proper sealed, I don't think any spiders are gonna come out that way." Zashier mentions plainly. For a moment, it seems he might add something else, only to hesitate and glance to Lem. Realizing he only had a minute to get Lem through the room and on to the next level, he bites words, and marches his way over to the door without another word Thistle asked of him to outright kick it down.
If it breaks open without issue, assuming noone stopped him midstride, he's ready to stride, and lash out at the first foe to see on the other side; be they spider, spook, or orc.
You kick open the door, but just barely. This door was denser, made of a thicker wood, likely to protect something. On the other side you see a large steel lockbox sitting in front of a steep stone staircase that winds down into the darkness.
"So, trapdoor and stairway down. And a lockbox. If I may have ten minutes I can then see if there are any magical auras, wards, traps, or items around us. Can we pause that long? Picking lockboxes and sneaking into small trap doors sounds more like Thistle's specialty, but this is how I can help."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thistle shakes her head, smiling. “Magical assistance finding traps? I can wait for that. I’m most curious about the lockbox. It may have information relevant to the people who killed Romero.”
”But if we’re going to stop for a bit, is Moon in place watching the approach to the Plague House?”
She will also look around the room and peer down the stairs, listening for anything (spiders). Perception: 21
Peering down the stairs it leads to darkness. You hear skittering, and scritching, and scratching...
Sure, lets say Lem sends Moon out to watch your back. He sees through her eyes that the way behind you is still clear - no one is approaching or following.
The moment the words 'may have 10 minutes', Zashier looks to Lem sharply, and then to the lockbox. Then, despite knowing the wrongness of what came to mind, he simply took out his axe and made to march down stairs, knowing it would light up more brilliantly in darkness. Without someone physically holding him back, even his sister's orders fall on deaf ears as he made his way, axe in hand, and expression set into a determined mask.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Lem squints at Zashier, and what the paladin had done and said dawns on him suddenly (basically a flow chart diagram of cause and effect and a few equations zooms and pans around his head). He nods simply at Zashier, says, "maybe see you on the other side," with a nod at the stairs, and immediately darts back into the infirmary, toward the trap door, shocked not to be frightened of the haunts. His narrow frame fits in the doorway easily, and he peers around with his darkvision.
Thistle watches with growing concern as the party splits. "Wait! What? Zashier... Lem! By the bloody guts... I guess we're tackling the chest later." She draws saber and shield, and follows Zashier down the stairs, unwilling to let him go alone.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
A couple of things are going to happen...
Zashier, you go charging down the stairs. About halfway down, you are charged by three giant filthy rats, each one the size of a small dog. Each has a coat of coarse fur, a long and scabby tail, and two glittering eyes.
They each attempt to bite at your legs ( 141518 ) but only one of them sinks their disgusting front buck teeth into your leg for 3 piercing damage.
Zashier, CON save: 13
Zashier, you feel the teeth sink into your leg, and you cant help but think about how disgusting this place is, how long these rats have lived here...how have they survived? what do they eat? you begin to feel a little weak...and you have contracted what we will call "Rat Rot", and you immediately take one level of exhaustion. There is more to Rat Rot, but you dont know that now...perhaps Lem remembers reading about Rat Rot in one of his books (History check) or you can wait until you get back to town, and maybe High Priestess Tyari Varvados can tell you.
Thistle (and Yashiera) are behind Zashier, but he is a big boy, and you cant get around. Good, because the rats cant get to you, bad because you cant help.
Z - how do you respond to the rats?
I think we have all heard the stories about elephants being scared of mice...does that apply to rats? what about if they are the size of a small dog?
Lem, you lower into a chamber (climbing down a ladder). Embedded into the floor of this chamber is a ten-foot-diameter granite emblem of a faded gold and white longsword. Four passages lead out of the chamber in different directions. A portcullis blocks the southern exit (there is a lever in the wall next to the portcullis), and a sturdy wooden door leads west. You are coming down the ladder in the southern corner of the room, and a small chest and decrepit bookshelf face one another from opposite walls.
Coming down the ladder, you also see a half-orc and a flood troll attempting to flee the room down the passage to the NorthWest (the vertical hall on the basement area of the map).
Zashier swooning stops almost as abruptly as it began, for in his heart of heart, he recalled the conviction that carried him through the gaining back control. Even so, as he looked down at the rats and noted their pitiful looks and rotten beings, he couldn't help but think to the description he eventually managed to worm out of Yeshiera of his own state before Yokini saved his life. And so it is with a heavy heart, that he shortened the grip on the haft for a shallower stroke, but ensure the blade wouldn't catch on the walls as he brought it down.
Hard.... And yet, not hard enough to kill. Only enough to knock out the giant rat upon impact as the flat it smashed into its face! Hit or miss, eyes the rest with narrowed eyes and extended his ears outward to make himself appear all the more intimidating. He was not a meal they wish to partake in no matter how starved or agitated. The one that bit him, assuming it remained conscious, would even already feel a wrongness to his blood. An acridness that stung the tongue even.
Action: Attack with Zolkin's Sin on successful biter. (Non-Lethal)Attack: 26 Damage: 7 slashing.
If they should flee, he would like back and warn the others. But if not, he didn't dare take his eyes off them for a second, and say only for their sake, "Seems Trolls aren't the only problem down here, or so my ankle has told me, courtesy of these rats of unusual size."
Yokini stands and acts as if she's about to follow Lem, but then her eyes go wide, and she is once again shaking, unable to follow. "Lem," she says, her voice catching.
Lem quietly descends the ladder, taking in his surroundings methodically, repeating to himself, "not so bad, better than ghosts, not so bad..." and then he focuses and sees the half-orc and the flood troll. He doesn't break eye contact and fumbles for and grabs the wand of wonder, points it at whichever of the two is farther away, and fires without thinking. "Troll and a half-orc! Two targets!"he calls up the ladder.
Wand of wonder roll: 6
Both need to make a DEX 15 save or become covered in faerie fire (as well as anything else invisible in a 20-foot cube around there).
Yokini, there was talk of waiting 10 minutes, and Lem magically helping detect traps on the chest, but Zashier charged ahead, and Lem went back into the infirmary room, under the effects of Heroism. Only about 3-4 minutes have passed.
Zashier, you bring your axe down, and it crushes the rat that bit you. He falls over, onto the other two, and (with your intimidation) they squeal at seeing their fallen friend, and run back down the stairs.
Lem, you call out for the others as you hit the flood troll with the wand of wonder. Yokini can hear you call out. Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera are a bit to far to hear. Yokini could relay the message to them?
Orc DEX save: 13
Flood Troll DEX save: 9
They both fail their save, and immediately light up, shedding light down the hallway. The door they were headed to lights up as well, the door across from you, on the SW wall lights up, and the bookcase across from you lights up as well.
They are distracted by what has just happened, and you can hear them cursing loudly in Giant-ish and Orc-ish, and sometimes a bit of a pig latin combination of the two.
Since they have been engaged, its probably a good time to run some initiative. Lets continue with our concurrent initiative, though I will be handling things as logically as possible as the events unfold.
The orc and flood troll begin to shove each other, moving half as fast as they normally would, attempting to flee the area, not knowing where this magical light came from.
Yokini, you are the only one left upstairs.
Lem, you are in that central chamber.
Zashier, Thistle, Yashiera, you are in the stairwell. I assume you willl continue down the stairway, so. will upload an updated map with what you see as well.
Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera, as you descend the stone stairs, you see they end in a stark subterranean chamber. Doorways to the northwest and southwest offer egress from the room. Around the corner to the south, a lone statue has been relegated to a dusty corner behind the stairs.
Zashier, you notice right away the statue depicts Pelor in a pose of peace, with both her hands wrapped loosely around the hilt of her sheathed sword, which looks oddly askew.
Zashier fans out, if only to give the others room to properly scan their surroundings. As he did so, he stayed alert, confused initially by the lack of rats, but quick to brush the thought aside in a shrug. "What's this then?" The paladin quirks a brow, and then -- if only out of respect for the big sun god himself -- waddled over to adjust the hands position towards their proper position. If there was time he might've even spent a moment cleaning up the statue as well, but knew better than to let the eccentricities of faith wholly get the better of him.
"That aughta do it. Now to check those other doors." He half-muttered to himself as he at least start to turn, intending to check out the closest one.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Zashier, as you touch the hands of the statue, and likely inadvertently touching the hilt of the sheathed sword, you get a wave of positive energy wash over you. There is something special about this statue or sword, but you arent sure what...
Yokini makes a hum of worry. Turning toward the stairs, she yells (not at all keeping in mind that they're half trying to be stealthy), "Lemmy's got trouble! There's a troll and a half-orc! Someone come help him! I can't! I just can't!"
Lem sees the two looking around for the source of the faerie fire, and realizes he's alone, about to be found out.
The faerie fire winks out, just as he tosses a small quartz rock down the easternmost hallway... and right then, Lem disappears (he casts invisibility on himself as soon as the pebble leaves his hand and the faerie fire spell from the wand, which requires concentration, dissipates). He stays still and watches the troll and half-orc to see what their reaction is.
Thistle you look to the North passageway as you cross it, but it actually turns a corner, and you cant see beyond that wall.
Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera all hear Yokini's warning that Lem is dealing with a troll and a half-orc on his own.
Lem, both the half-orc and the flood troll are confused at being lit up, then it fading away. They do momentarily stop their retreat to see if they can locate the source of the light. Hearing the rock go down the side passage, they think maybe its just one person in the wrong place at the wrong time.....weighing their options, the stop their retreat, and make their way to the source of the noise...their curiosity getting the better of their judgement.
They make their way across the chamber, and pass right next to Lem, but with him being invisible (and I assume standing absolutely still) they dont notice him. The pass by, and go to the portcullis, looking through it to see if they can see anything on the other side. It is just the right angle they cannot see Zashier at the statue.
Unsatisfied, the half-orc motions for the flood troll to stay quiet. The half-orc uses the lever on the wall to raise the portcullis.
Lem is invisible, right next to the flood troll, and the half orc is on the other side.
Zashier is next to the statue, Thistle and Yashiera near him.
Yokini is still upstairs.
The portcullis is open. Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera hear it opening right after you hear the warning from Yokini. You can all guess whats about to come through that passageway...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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"I mean, if the door is right and proper sealed, I don't think any spiders are gonna come out that way." Zashier mentions plainly. For a moment, it seems he might add something else, only to hesitate and glance to Lem. Realizing he only had a minute to get Lem through the room and on to the next level, he bites words, and marches his way over to the door without another word Thistle asked of him to outright kick it down.
Athletics: 20.
If it breaks open without issue, assuming noone stopped him midstride, he's ready to stride, and lash out at the first foe to see on the other side; be they spider, spook, or orc.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
You kick open the door, but just barely. This door was denser, made of a thicker wood, likely to protect something. On the other side you see a large steel lockbox sitting in front of a steep stone staircase that winds down into the darkness.
"So, trapdoor and stairway down. And a lockbox. If I may have ten minutes I can then see if there are any magical auras, wards, traps, or items around us. Can we pause that long? Picking lockboxes and sneaking into small trap doors sounds more like Thistle's specialty, but this is how I can help."
Thistle shakes her head, smiling. “Magical assistance finding traps? I can wait for that. I’m most curious about the lockbox. It may have information relevant to the people who killed Romero.”
”But if we’re going to stop for a bit, is Moon in place watching the approach to the Plague House?”
She will also look around the room and peer down the stairs, listening for anything (spiders). Perception: 21
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Peering down the stairs it leads to darkness. You hear skittering, and scritching, and scratching...
Sure, lets say Lem sends Moon out to watch your back. He sees through her eyes that the way behind you is still clear - no one is approaching or following.
The moment the words 'may have 10 minutes', Zashier looks to Lem sharply, and then to the lockbox. Then, despite knowing the wrongness of what came to mind, he simply took out his axe and made to march down stairs, knowing it would light up more brilliantly in darkness. Without someone physically holding him back, even his sister's orders fall on deaf ears as he made his way, axe in hand, and expression set into a determined mask.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Lem squints at Zashier, and what the paladin had done and said dawns on him suddenly (basically a flow chart diagram of cause and effect and a few equations zooms and pans around his head). He nods simply at Zashier, says, "maybe see you on the other side," with a nod at the stairs, and immediately darts back into the infirmary, toward the trap door, shocked not to be frightened of the haunts. His narrow frame fits in the doorway easily, and he peers around with his darkvision.
Thistle watches with growing concern as the party splits. "Wait! What? Zashier... Lem! By the bloody guts... I guess we're tackling the chest later." She draws saber and shield, and follows Zashier down the stairs, unwilling to let him go alone.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
A couple of things are going to happen...
Zashier, you go charging down the stairs. About halfway down, you are charged by three giant filthy rats, each one the size of a small dog. Each has a coat of coarse fur, a long and scabby tail, and two glittering eyes.
They each attempt to bite at your legs ( 14 15 18 ) but only one of them sinks their disgusting front buck teeth into your leg for 3 piercing damage.
Zashier, CON save: 13
Zashier, you feel the teeth sink into your leg, and you cant help but think about how disgusting this place is, how long these rats have lived here...how have they survived? what do they eat? you begin to feel a little weak...and you have contracted what we will call "Rat Rot", and you immediately take one level of exhaustion. There is more to Rat Rot, but you dont know that now...perhaps Lem remembers reading about Rat Rot in one of his books (History check) or you can wait until you get back to town, and maybe High Priestess Tyari Varvados can tell you.
Thistle (and Yashiera) are behind Zashier, but he is a big boy, and you cant get around. Good, because the rats cant get to you, bad because you cant help.
Z - how do you respond to the rats?
I think we have all heard the stories about elephants being scared of mice...does that apply to rats? what about if they are the size of a small dog?
Lem, you lower into a chamber (climbing down a ladder). Embedded into the floor of this chamber is a ten-foot-diameter granite emblem of a faded gold and white longsword. Four passages lead out of the chamber in different directions. A portcullis blocks the southern exit (there is a lever in the wall next to the portcullis), and a sturdy wooden door leads west. You are coming down the ladder in the southern corner of the room, and a small chest and decrepit bookshelf face one another from opposite walls.
Coming down the ladder, you also see a half-orc and a flood troll attempting to flee the room down the passage to the NorthWest (the vertical hall on the basement area of the map).
What do you do?
Yokini, who are you following? Lem or Zashier?
Conc. Save for Heroism(DC 10): 10.
Zashier swooning stops almost as abruptly as it began, for in his heart of heart, he recalled the conviction that carried him through the gaining back control. Even so, as he looked down at the rats and noted their pitiful looks and rotten beings, he couldn't help but think to the description he eventually managed to worm out of Yeshiera of his own state before Yokini saved his life. And so it is with a heavy heart, that he shortened the grip on the haft for a shallower stroke, but ensure the blade wouldn't catch on the walls as he brought it down.
Hard.... And yet, not hard enough to kill. Only enough to knock out the giant rat upon impact as the flat it smashed into its face! Hit or miss, eyes the rest with narrowed eyes and extended his ears outward to make himself appear all the more intimidating. He was not a meal they wish to partake in no matter how starved or agitated. The one that bit him, assuming it remained conscious, would even already feel a wrongness to his blood. An acridness that stung the tongue even.
Action: Attack with Zolkin's Sin on successful biter.
(Non-Lethal)Attack: 26 Damage: 7 slashing.
Intimidation: 20.
If they should flee, he would like back and warn the others. But if not, he didn't dare take his eyes off them for a second, and say only for their sake, "Seems Trolls aren't the only problem down here, or so my ankle has told me, courtesy of these rats of unusual size."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
I don't think it's been 10 minutes yet, has it?
Yokini stands and acts as if she's about to follow Lem, but then her eyes go wide, and she is once again shaking, unable to follow. "Lem," she says, her voice catching.
Lem quietly descends the ladder, taking in his surroundings methodically, repeating to himself, "not so bad, better than ghosts, not so bad..." and then he focuses and sees the half-orc and the flood troll. He doesn't break eye contact and fumbles for and grabs the wand of wonder, points it at whichever of the two is farther away, and fires without thinking. "Troll and a half-orc! Two targets!" he calls up the ladder.
Wand of wonder roll: 6
Both need to make a DEX 15 save or become covered in faerie fire (as well as anything else invisible in a 20-foot cube around there).
Yokini, there was talk of waiting 10 minutes, and Lem magically helping detect traps on the chest, but Zashier charged ahead, and Lem went back into the infirmary room, under the effects of Heroism. Only about 3-4 minutes have passed.
Zashier, you bring your axe down, and it crushes the rat that bit you. He falls over, onto the other two, and (with your intimidation) they squeal at seeing their fallen friend, and run back down the stairs.
Lem, you call out for the others as you hit the flood troll with the wand of wonder. Yokini can hear you call out. Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera are a bit to far to hear. Yokini could relay the message to them?
Orc DEX save: 13
Flood Troll DEX save: 9
They both fail their save, and immediately light up, shedding light down the hallway. The door they were headed to lights up as well, the door across from you, on the SW wall lights up, and the bookcase across from you lights up as well.
They are distracted by what has just happened, and you can hear them cursing loudly in Giant-ish and Orc-ish, and sometimes a bit of a pig latin combination of the two.
Since they have been engaged, its probably a good time to run some initiative. Lets continue with our concurrent initiative, though I will be handling things as logically as possible as the events unfold.
The orc and flood troll begin to shove each other, moving half as fast as they normally would, attempting to flee the area, not knowing where this magical light came from.
Yokini, you are the only one left upstairs.
Lem, you are in that central chamber.
Zashier, Thistle, Yashiera, you are in the stairwell. I assume you willl continue down the stairway, so. will upload an updated map with what you see as well.
Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera, as you descend the stone stairs, you see they end in a stark subterranean chamber. Doorways to the northwest and southwest offer egress from the room. Around the corner to the south, a lone statue has been relegated to a dusty corner behind the stairs.
Zashier, you notice right away the statue depicts Pelor in a pose of peace, with both her hands wrapped loosely around the hilt of her sheathed sword, which looks oddly askew.
The rats are nowhere to be seen.
Updated map on Discord
Zashier fans out, if only to give the others room to properly scan their surroundings. As he did so, he stayed alert, confused initially by the lack of rats, but quick to brush the thought aside in a shrug. "What's this then?" The paladin quirks a brow, and then -- if only out of respect for the big sun god himself -- waddled over to adjust the hands position towards their proper position. If there was time he might've even spent a moment cleaning up the statue as well, but knew better than to let the eccentricities of faith wholly get the better of him.
"That aughta do it. Now to check those other doors." He half-muttered to himself as he at least start to turn, intending to check out the closest one.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Zashier, as you touch the hands of the statue, and likely inadvertently touching the hilt of the sheathed sword, you get a wave of positive energy wash over you. There is something special about this statue or sword, but you arent sure what...
Thistle grumbles under her breath as Zashier hares off on yet another side mission, this time fiddling with a statue under the stairs.
“I thought you all were part of a military unit. I haven’t seen this much disorganized chaos in a troop of monkeys.”
She will glance north as she crosses to the door, and if nothing northward draws her attention, she will stop at the door and listen.
Perception for either: 17
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Yokini makes a hum of worry. Turning toward the stairs, she yells (not at all keeping in mind that they're half trying to be stealthy), "Lemmy's got trouble! There's a troll and a half-orc! Someone come help him! I can't! I just can't!"
Lem sees the two looking around for the source of the faerie fire, and realizes he's alone, about to be found out.
The faerie fire winks out, just as he tosses a small quartz rock down the easternmost hallway... and right then, Lem disappears (he casts invisibility on himself as soon as the pebble leaves his hand and the faerie fire spell from the wand, which requires concentration, dissipates). He stays still and watches the troll and half-orc to see what their reaction is.
Thistle you look to the North passageway as you cross it, but it actually turns a corner, and you cant see beyond that wall.
Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera all hear Yokini's warning that Lem is dealing with a troll and a half-orc on his own.
Lem, both the half-orc and the flood troll are confused at being lit up, then it fading away. They do momentarily stop their retreat to see if they can locate the source of the light. Hearing the rock go down the side passage, they think maybe its just one person in the wrong place at the wrong time.....weighing their options, the stop their retreat, and make their way to the source of the noise...their curiosity getting the better of their judgement.
They make their way across the chamber, and pass right next to Lem, but with him being invisible (and I assume standing absolutely still) they dont notice him. The pass by, and go to the portcullis, looking through it to see if they can see anything on the other side. It is just the right angle they cannot see Zashier at the statue.
Unsatisfied, the half-orc motions for the flood troll to stay quiet. The half-orc uses the lever on the wall to raise the portcullis.
Lem is invisible, right next to the flood troll, and the half orc is on the other side.
Zashier is next to the statue, Thistle and Yashiera near him.
Yokini is still upstairs.
The portcullis is open. Zashier, Thistle, and Yashiera hear it opening right after you hear the warning from Yokini. You can all guess whats about to come through that passageway...