Airwalkrr's Maure Castle IC Chapter 1: The Great Hall

[airwalkrr]

GM: This is the In Character thread for the players in my Maure Castle campaign. Cast of Characters Rhun: Brisarion, NG male human cleric (Heironeous) 12 s@squ@tch: Hedowin, NG male human wizard 12 Knowledge Checks: Longren, N male human barbarian 12 Shayuri: Silhouette, N female human beguiler 12

Long ago, an adventurer discovered a hidden passage in the ground west of a decrepit and abandoned fortress known as Maure Castle. The passage led to a set of unopenable doors. This adventurer spoke of his exploit in the City of Greyhawk's legendary Green Dragon Inn. Word soon passed to the wizard Mordenkainen, a shadowy figure with a finger on the knife's edge upon which the city balanced. He and his apprentice Bigby, Yrag the Lord, and Riggby, patriarch of Boccob the Uncaring, set out to try their hands at passing the unpassable. With the aid of a minor artifact known as the Silver Key of Portals, Mordenkainen and his companions entered the dungeon twenty-five years ago. They slew an evil wizard and most of his agents, robbed the place of much lore and wealth, and departed for greater challenges elsewhere.

Over the course of your careers, you have gained the attention of Mordenkainen and his powerful allies. Mordenkainen's former apprentice, the archmage Bigby, fears that evil may have waxed within the ruins in the years since his last visit. Having other matters to consume their time, the wizards have contacted you via their associate, a wizard named Jallarzi Sallavarian in Greyhawk who directed you to the tunnel entrance. Jallarzi temporarily entrusted you with a powerful minor artifact called the Silver Key of Portals to help you negotiate the Unopenable Doors.

You now find yourself at a brush-covered downward-slanting passage just over a mile west of Maure Castle.

GM: Attached pictures show the overland area as well as the Silver Key of Portals. Maure Castle is about 180 miles southeast of Greyhawk, which is where you began your journey. You can discuss how you got here however you like, or we can just assume you traveled overland after packing supplies for the trip. It is about a six-day trip by horseback. Your characters are assumed to know each other already. You can develop your personalities and how long you've known each other, as well as whatever reasons you have working together in the game. Please post a list of spells prepared for today in your opening post if your character prepares spells.

Airwalkrr's Maure Castle 3.5 OOC

 

[Knowledge Checks]

Longren

Those hills aren't too far out from the city. A man could get lost in there easy if he had a mind to. Longren turned away from the northern hills and adjusted a shoulder strap on his breastplate. Satisfied with the fit, he wrapped a long leather thong over his shoulder and under his other arm three times and slipped the greataxe into an odd knot on his back. One firm tug and the weapon would be free.

"So..." He says, not turning from the saddlebags on his horse as he pulls out more weapons. "This is the way down?" Blade on the left, hammer on the right. The longblade hangs in a simple leather sheath on his left hip, stone hammer tied to his right. Throwing a slim satchel over his shoulder he rubs the horses neck and walks towards the others.

[sblock]
Longren keeps his true history a secret. As his 'career' wouldn't be one that Bigby wouldn't probably be very impressed or enamored by, I imagined Longren got the job because the trio (Brisarion, Hedowin, Silhouette) needed someone to swing a sword and Longren was in the right tavern at the right time.

He doesn't dress in the manner of Stonehold anymore and is trying to not behave that way or use affectations that would give his cultural background away. Unfortunately he's not skilled at that, so he gets by instead by not saying much. When asked a direct question about his background he answers in the most vague way possible without actually lying.[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

"It matches the description," Silhouette said dryly. "Unless you think this is all some archmage's practical joke, and they're back at some inn laughing at us over mugs of ale."

She was a rogue, or something like it. The black-laquered chainmail shirt she wore suggested it strongly. The crossbow slung over her shoulder did nothing to detract from that image, even though it was made in an oddly baroque style, with inlaid silver runes along the curved bow. She had several pouches on her belt, suitable for tools of the trade. Around her brow was a thin silver circlet that held a small set diamond directly over her forehead...the only jewelry she seemed to own. There was no sword or other weapon visible at her side, but a smart bet was that there was at least one dagger somewhere in easy reach, if not easy sight.

Beyond that, she seemed ordinary enough. A human woman of perhaps twenty-five years, dark hair and brown eyes. Sharp, pretty features that suggested perhaps a touch of elf blood far back in her family tree, though not enough to put a point on her ears. Her cloak and armor revealed the outline of a sleek, slim physique, like an acrobat or dancer.

Why she'd been selected for this by the archmage was a little mystery of its own...one that Silhouette hadn't shown any interest in exploring with the others just yet.

 

[Rhun]

"It wouldn't be the first practical joke that an archmage has played a prank on the unwary," says Brisarion, brushing his blonde hair back out of his eyes so that he can don his helmet. "But they did give us this artifact to enter the place. Surely, they wouldn't have done so if they merely meant to have a bit of fun at our expense." The cleric smiles and hefts his darkwood shield, emblazoned with the silver lightning bolt of Heironeous. He checks to make sure Vile Silencer is loose in its scabbard, and then moves forward to peer down the entrance tunnel.

 

[airwalkrr]

The tunnel is very long, and very dark, easily over sixty feet deep, which is as far as you can see with the sunlight alone. It is surprisingly crafted at a very precise diameter and constant, gentle incline. This was obviously the work of a very skilled or magical tunneler.

 

[Knowledge Checks]

Longren

"Most likely not." Longren says in agreement. He glances down the tunnel and shrugs at the unusual construction. "I can see fine the dark, but you all might want a torch...unless one of you can conjure a light."

Longren takes a step towards the tunnel but stops before going in and looks back at his companions. "I don't pretend to understand what magics you might control...but seeing as how this place we're headed to is a magicians sanctum...maybe one of you should lead the way."

[sblock]He really has very little experience with magic. He knows some pray to gods for power and others study books, but beyond that distinction he doesn't understand how it works.[/sblock]

 

[Rhun]

Brisarion pulls an engraved steel bracer from his pack. The bracer flickers with pale silvery-gold flames, providing light similar to that cast by a torch. The cleric straps the bracer to his forearm, nods at Longren, and leads the way into the tunnel. "Be wary."

 

[Shayuri]

Silhouette follows Longren, gesturing for him to follow the priest with a courtly bow that is probably mocking...but done with so straight a face that it's hard to be sure.

"I wouldn't expect any traps at least until we're past the Door," she says complacently. "At least none that weren't disarmed or destroyed long ago."

 

[airwalkrr]

After proceeding eastward for about ten minutes along a downward-sloping passage, you come at least to a T intersection, with a short hallway continuing to the north and another leading south into darkness. A large eight-pointed star design has been chiseled into the stone floor at the intersection. The points of the star are entirely cleaned out, as if something is meant to be inset into the shallow depressions.
Map

 

[Rhun]

Brisarion kneels, inspecting the star more closely. He traces the design of one of the points with a gauntleted finger. "Perhaps this was the means by which entrance to this place was originally made." The cleric shrugs. "Or perhaps it is something else. Whatever the case, we don't have whatever is meant to be inserted into it."

OOC: And since I missed putting spells in my opening post, I'm adding them here:

[sblock=Spells Prepared]- 0-Level: Detect Magic x 2, Create Water, Light x 2,
- 1st Level: Bless, Command, Remove Fear, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Obscuring Mist, Doom + Protection from Evil
- 2nd Level: Consecrate, Hold Person x 2, Lesser Restoration, Silence, Resist Energy + Spiritual Weapon
- 3rd Level: Daylight, Invisibility Purge, Magic Circle vrs. Evil, Summon Monster III, Dispel Magic + Magic Vestment
- 4th Level: Freedom of Movement, Summon Monster IV, Dismissal, Divine Power + Holy Smite
- 5th Level: Break Enchantment, Righteous Might, True Seeing, Symbol of Sleep + Flame Strike
- 6th Level: Banishment, Heal, Heroes Feast + Blade Barrier[/sblock]