(CSRHoD) Creamsteak's Red Hand of Doom II [IC]

[Creamsteak]

Flanked by massive stone paws to the north and south, this hollow is hidden in teh shadow of its great stone head above. A worn stone path leads between the great paws to a low stone ramp, which climbs up to an impressive archway in the lion's chest. Two basalt statues of skeletal lions stand facing each other on either side of the arch, as if passing judgment upon those who travel between them.

The stone path leads up into a large chamber with rough-hewn walls with a domed ceiling rising fifteen feet overhead. To the north is heaped a large mound of crushed nettles and briars, arranged in some sort of nest, while to the south lies a massive mound of bones. The area smells strangely musty and acrid.

There are more signs of heavy activity in the chamber, but it seems to be abandoned at the moment. There is no obvious exits from this chamber other than the entrance you used to get here.

 

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 21 - hp 55/55 - Spot +15 - Listen +15
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 28 - hp 45/45 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

It was a majectic sight. A massive lion in the middle of a wasteland. Had they stumbled upon the home of the Ghost Lord? Would they be able to enlist its aid or at least stop it from siding against the horde threatening the Vale? Avril bent down, finding comfort in the proximity of her dog, trying to shake away the uncertainty of what lay ahead. "Be careful," she called softly to Warren as he left to explore the structure, though she wasn't sure if the halfling had heard her.

"If Warren cannot go in without being able to see in the dark," she started, "then perhaps I can take the form of a small animal and have a look. Or perhaps that will serve as a way to draw out anything that may be lurking there, if it is animal in nature." She didn't really like the idea of being bait, but one had to be practical about these things. They were up against the unknown. "Either way, we should move closer and be ready." Avril completed a few protective spells before sneaking closer after Warren.

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC:

Spells and Abilities Active:

Easy Trail (Avril, 8 hours)
Charisma Damage (Mandla -2)
Extended Barkskin (Avril, Mandla, 160 minutes)
Greater Magic Fang (Avril, Mandla, 8 hours)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Easy Trail (1)
Barkskin
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (1 Used)
Greater Magic Fang

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Easy Trail (2)
Level 3 (4): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection from Energy
Level 4 (3): Air Walk, Cure Serious Wounds, Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Siobhan begins moving warily towards the large pile of bones. Her eyes play over the confusing jumble as she tries to piece together the puzzle of what animal, or animals, they once were. More importantly she looks for signs of how they died, by tooth and fang or some other exotic means.

OOC: Heal +15 as she tries to determine what killed them.

 

[renau1g]

Pender will keep watch over Siobhan as she looks over the remains of the dead creatures.

 

[pathfinderq1]

Tyrla followed the others into the room. After a brief scan of the chamber, she rose up towards the ceiling, ready to guard against whatever threats might reveal themselves...

OOC: Quick scan of the room- first with See the Unseen, then with Detect Magic. If nothing terribly important is revealed, take a high guard position- flying at ceiling height, center of the room.

 

[Arkhandus]

Warren inspects the floor ahead as he leads the group inside, then once Siobhan goes to check out the pile of bones, Warren heads over to the right-side wall to search for traps or secret doors. He doesn't bother inspecting the floor where he and the others aren't going to walk on their way to the bone-pile or the wall.

[sblock=ooc]Who's carrying a light, anyway? I'm not sure who's lighting the way as we go inside.

Warren takes 20 on Search checks for now, not caring that it's taking up several minutes.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

As Warren begins searching the walls and floor for an entrance, Siobhan identifies that the bones are relatively fresh - between a few days and a few weeks old - mostly of indiginous wildlife to the wastelands. Whatever creature left these remains was quite powerful, taking down beasts the size of a dire lion and apparently crushing it.

Warren soon finds that there is a secret door along the back wall, one that could lead further into the stone lion.

(Sorry for the slowness, work is goign to be hell for me until the 1st).

 

[SelcSilverhand]

Siobhen moves to join the others as they move down the hidden corridor.

 

[Arkhandus]

"'Ey, a door. Lessee where it leads....." Warren says, not too loudly.

He carefully pokes, prods, nudges, and fiddles with parts of the wall, using the tip of his short sword to help pry at edges, until he gets the secret door open. Then waits for the others to follow before leading them onward. He checks the floor of the hidden passage's first 20 feet thoroughly, then relaxes his search for a while as he proceeds further in (assuming it does open into a hidden hallway or stairway).

[sblock=ooc]Taking 20 on Search again for the first 3 spaces past the secret door after getting it open, then just taking 10 on subsequent Search checks as he moves down the rest of the hidden passageway, if that's what it is, until he notices anything different, unusual, or suspicious, like a room or strange markings, at which point he'll take 20 on Search checks around the entrance or immediate surroundings of such a room or markings etc.[/sblock]

 

[Pinotage]

Avril - Human Druid - AC 21 - hp 55/55 - Spot +15 - Listen +15
Mandla - Riding Dog - AC 28 - hp 45/45 - Spot +5 - Listen +5

Avril nervously listened to Siobhan's interpretation of what the animal bones were, even though she herself had surmised as much. "Whatever did this could very well still be here. We're lucky so far that it is not in its nest." She waved her hand to indicate the area they were standing in. "We'd better hurry." Keepin a closer eye on the entrance, she kept her back to the wall Warren was working on, actively looking to see if she couldn't see anything return.

[SBLOCK=OOC]OOC: Active Spot checks while Warren is examining the door.

Spells and Abilities Active:

Easy Trail (Avril, 8 hours)
Charisma Damage (Mandla -2)
Extended Barkskin (Avril, Mandla, 160 minutes)
Greater Magic Fang (Avril, Mandla, 8 hours)

Spells Cast and Abilities/Items Used:

Easy Trail (1)
Barkskin
Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (1 Used)
Greater Magic Fang

Level 0 (6): Cure Minor Wounds (3), Detect Magic (2), Guidance
Level 1 (5): Cure Light Wounds, Enrage Animal, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame
Level 2 (4): Easy Trail (2)
Level 3 (4): Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection from Energy
Level 4 (3): Air Walk, Cure Serious Wounds, Flame Strike

Avril's Character Sheet [/SBLOCK]