[Adventure] Artemis' Pact

[Neil1889]

OOC: I'm still on holiday, just looking in from Corfu, supping good ol' Mythos beer. Normal posting will resume around Tuesday, but I'll look in again.

 

[Someone]

OOC: I'm still on holiday, just looking in from Corfu, supping good ol' Mythos beer. Normal posting will resume around Tuesday, but I'll look in again.

OOC: Beware of greeks bearing gifts Or trying to sell souvenirs, for that matter

 

[FourMonos]

As Artemis leaps into the lead cart, he comments, "No I doubt it was anything you did, Shale. Much like the chains, I think the devil and his prison developed a symbiotic relationship."

He pauses as everyone stares at him, "What? I'm reading 7 Rabbit's books."

 

[JoeNotCharles]

OOC: We'll pause until [MENTION=100292]Neil1889[/MENTION] gets back so that he gets a chance to post in this final skill challenge. Wish I could give more XP to FourMonos for that crack.... Need to start reading some other threads, I guess.

 

[Neil1889]

He pauses as everyone stares at him, "What? I'm reading 7 Rabbit's books."

"I wouldn't mind a look myself, if you wouldn't mind, only this may well be a bad time to attempt to read his handwriting."

 

[Someone]

"I wouldn't mind a look myself, if you wouldn't mind, only this may well be a bad time to attempt to read his handwriting."

			It’s actually not difficult. You only have to string two sentences that sound wise but don't make much sense once you think on them. Like: He who stumbles around in darkness with a stick is blind. But he who sticks out in darkness is...

			…Fluorescent?

			I need some practice

 

[CaBaNa]

*HAck* laughs/coughs Gil, laying in the cart uncomfortably.

The scholar rolls up the side of the cart, looking down, he calls another mage hand forth. The hand grips both the track, and the wheel over it, keeping the two in constant contact. It won't keep us attached, but it can serve as a sort of slowing mechanism, a brake. We'll have more control over the cart this way.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

OOC: Ok, I guess Neil1889 is still looking in, so we might as well continue...

The cart barrels headlong down the track, rushing faster and faster towards freedom. So fast now that it's almost out of control... And then suddenly you're out of the tunnel and hurtling along a ledge beside a vast chasm. To your right is a wall of solid rock. To your left you can look down and see more ledges, spires and rock bridges, all festooned with track. You can see tight, hair-pin turns, areas of broken track hanging over empty space, and dizzying twists that would threaten to dump your load. In several places the tracks split or rejoin, with the junctions worked by switches, but you won't be able to tell which way the switches are set before you're right on them.

And the layout of the tracks is constantly changing as rock falls from the ceiling and smashes through bridges or buries branches.

Ahead, the track you're on descends in a series of switchbacks into the confusing maze. Several tracks exit the maze towards tunnels leading back into the rock, but all save one have collapsed. In this brief moment overlooking the whole vista, you can just about see how to get to the single exit track from here, but it's going to take precise timing to avoid tipping the cart (or just as bad, getting it stuck and having to waste valuable time unwedging it!)

And then you're rushing down the ledge towards the maze, and it's too late to plan ahead. You'll just have to react to obstacles as they come up and hope you can move fast enough to avoid the rocks smashing down behind you!

[sblock=Skill Challenge!]
Each PC gets 2 actions. You are looking for 5 successes. If you get 5 or more successes, the skill challenge is passed; 3-4 successes is partial failure; 0-2 successes is total failure. The DC for all actions in this skill challenge (except for Aid Another) is 20.

Be creative in thinking up obstacles you might meet and how to overcome them - I've listed some type of obstacle above, but who knows what the cart will actually run into? If you fail at rolling to avoid an obstacle, narrate how the cart gets stuck briefly, or jumps the track and lands on an adjoining one, or somebody falls out and has to be pulled back on - delays, but not utter disasters. We'll save "the cart sails off into the abyss and everybody dies" for if you get a total failure...

The full rules for Obsidian Skill Challenges, including special actions you can take, are in this post and this post. Remember that you only get 2 segments for this one, and the DC is 20, but you only need 5 total successes.

Skills you can use here without clearing it with me first:
Acrobatics
Athletics (primary)
Dungeoneering (primary)
Endurance
Thievery (primary)

And Gil, if you want you can say your Mage Hand was your first action, and use Arcana.
[/sblock]

 

[Someone]

[sblock=DM]

I was thinking on two ways to use my abilities, since Shale sucks at Primary skills for this challenge, but wanted to be sure if you'd consider then ligitimate and if they'd be aid another checks or just skill ckecks.

First involves Diplomacy. Fluff text: [sblock]
As the cart adquires speed and the noise of falling rock comes closer, panic ensues in the cart. Bob's terrified screaming added to the rusty wheel's screech on the tracks and the menacing rumbling from the caving tunnels drown any tentative conversation.

Fortunately Shale's telepathy doesn't rely on sound.

"Calm down! Just listen to my voice. If you need to say anything, don't shout, just think on it. I'll make sure whoever need to hear it hears it.[/sblock]

Second one involves using Dimension Scramble to teleport things out of the tracks, supposing the power can be used on inanimate objects. That'd involve Arcana, I suppose.[/sblock]

 

[JoeNotCharles]

[sblock=Someone]
I'd say calming Bob down with Diplomacy would give no direct success, but give the next player to act a +2 because the distraction is gone.

I'd allow the Dimension Scramble with Arcana.
[/sblock]