GM: | Tenchuu e-mailed me with Gensai's motivations, so I'm going to go ahead and keep the ball rolling. | |
The fetid reek of the prison yields to the relatively refreshing mist, like that of an approaching storm, all too familiar to Gensai as he leads the group up the staircase to the corridor, where just moments before, they faced almost certain death.
As they round the corner into the corridor where Mervin protected Riardon's flight, a lingering scent of the wizard's rancid could of obscuring gas hangs in the stormy air. Remorse sweeps over the warlord like a wave as regret over his cowardly flight fills his heart, and there turns bitterly to anger and zeal for the wizard's recovery.
The walls are slick, glazed with water leaching through rock walls that drips audibly in the virtually silent corridor. There is no sign of the kobolds with whom the party clashed so recently except the occasional rat skittering over the floor.
The doors at the end of the hallway stand open, mockingly inviting the adventurers to enter. Over the pit through which Gensai and his companions fell the make-shift bridge still lies as if to say "We'll make it easy for you."
On the far side of the pit, a large antechamber opens up, dimly lit, depicting a grusome scene. A man who might have been in his mid-life, dressed in regal clothing lies singed and torn in half atop an alter between two large gargoyle-like statues.[sblock=Nature DC 15]The scene is still relatively fresh. Evidently the evisceration occurred no more than two hours ago, because blood, though coagulated, still oozes from the body, over the altar pooling on the floor.[/sblock]Dried puddles of blood form footprints that climb the stairs and disappear behind a tapestry serving as a backdrop to a large stone statue of a green dragon which stands on the dais that overlooks the altar.
A rat crosses the room, squeaks when it sees the adventurers and skitters up the stairs of the dais to disappear behind the tapestry.
[sblock=Terrain]
Celiings: The ceiling here is 20 feet high.
Tapestry: This is completely opaque and deceivingly heavy, completely blocking line of sight and effect. It requires a Standard action to open. Creatures holding the tapestry open are unable to perform standard actions without letting the tapestry fall.
Blood: Running through blood requires a DC 20 Athletics check or you slip. Walking or maneuvering in combat through the blood carries no check or penalty.
Altar: The altar is 30 inches (~76cm) tall, and thus requires two squares of movement to traverse. It provides cover between creatures on opposite ends, and superior cover to prone creatures, provided the altar interrupts line of sight/effect.
Dais: Climing the stairs uses movement as normal, but PCs on the stairs grant combat advantage (note that NPCs and monsters do NOT grant combat advantage on the stairs).
Half Walls (P45 and P48): These are difficult terrain and contain brazers. The half walls are level with floor of the dais and grant cover to
Gargoyle statues: These are mounted atop the half walls. Squares O45 and O48 are difficult terrain. These statues are heavily anchored and cannot be toppled.
Brazers: Difficult Terrain. Additionally, these are primarily to provide light, but they are burning, and thus creatures forced to move through these squares suffer 2d6 fire damage.
Statues (L43-M44 and L49-M50): These statues are 10 feet tall. Squares M43,M44,M49, and M50 are difficult terrain. Medium creatures can squeeze through L43,L44,L49, and L50. The statues can be toppled with a Strength check DC 25. Creatures under a falling statue are subject to a +10 vs. Reflex attack and take 1d10 damage if hit. After this, the affected squares are difficult terrain.[/sblock][sblock=Gensai, Riardon, Fenwick: Streetwise DC 14]There is a crest on the body's clothing, and you've seen this crest before. It was on a bill poster back in Rioc Alair[sblock=Streetwise DC 17]This is the body of Lars Hallmaster. The crest was on the reward poster you saw in the gatehouse of Rioc Alair.[/sblock][/sblock][sblock=Nature DC 15]The body on the altar has been singed not by fire, but by lightning.[/sblock][sblock=Tikchik, Sheng: Monster Knowledge]The statue is of a green dragon, yet you were delivered here by a blue dragon. This is strange. This dungeon (and perhaps the blue dragon's lair) has most likely been re-purposed.[/sblock][sblock=Map History]
[/sblock][sblock=Antechamber Map]
[/sblock]
GM: | The idea here is to look for clues as to where everyone is. Gensai will go last.
For now, post skill checks per above, or per your imagination. I'll work skill challenge rules tonight. | |