The Forges of the Mountain King Chapter 1- Bottom's Up!

[Goonalan]

Mardred

Mardred quickly moves over to the secret chamber, squeezes past Korgan and bends to look at the coffer.

"Ere, le'me check it out."

Mardred sets to work, checking the coffer, and in particular the lock for traps...

OOC: See Perception check below.

"Nah! Safe as 'ouses- let's drag it out and have a proper look."

Mardred drags the chest out of the chamber- nothing untoward happens, thank Moradin Mardred is an expert at this kind of thing.

 

[Goonalan]

Mardred

Mardred cracks his knuckles and then sets to work on the lock.

OOC: Here comes the Thievery check.

There's a satisfying click.

"Simple as that fellas"

Mardred kicks open the lid, within is a single wooden box, swathed in white silk. Mardred gingerly lifts the box out, "bugger, it's 'eavy!", and then begins to unwrap the silk. The silk is emblazoned with dwarven sigils warding against death and destruction, and ring a crude image depicting the destruction of a city (or perhaps of the world?) in a rain of fire.

OOC: The box is only 8 inches by 4 inches by 6 inches, but weighs getting on for 20lbs.

Mardred grins at Krogan, "dangerous", he chuckles.

And then opens the wooden box.

Inside the box are three small pouches, each marked with a stylized skull and weighing — amazingly — over 5 lbs each.

Mardred lifts a pouch out and puts the box back down, he grins some more, and then opens the pouch-

Marder's face is illuminated by a golden glow.

The pouches contain what appear to be iron filings that sparkle with the light of a starry sky. However they're moving- the fillings are in constant motion, moving top to tail in seemingly random directions- millions of them at at once.

The effect is a little hypnotic, Mardred opens his hand for all to see.

OOC: Imagine a bunch of sparkly iron fillings behaving like mexican jumping beans- constantly moving top-to-tail, in random directions over and under each other.

What's going on here?

Map-

http://gallery.rptools.net/v/contrib/goonalan/

 

[hairychin]

Len

"Not sure I've seen the likes of that afore", Len steps back into the room to take a closer look, wracking his limited brain as to any memory of its like, "Don't look natural t' me". <Arcana check>

"Any of yous got any bright ideas?"

"Get it, 'bright' ideas!" Len chuckles at his own clever(!!) pun.

OOC: On the pace of this - I'm sort of conscious that I need to leave time for others to post, without really knowing whether/when anyone will be. Are we agreeing a strict one post per day. If so I will feel free to post at this rate irrespective of others, but I don't want to seem to be over-posting.

 

[Goonalan]

"Not sure I've seen the likes of that afore", Len steps back into the room to take a closer look, wracking his limited brain as to any memory of its like, "Don't look natural t' me". <Arcana check>

"Any of yous got any bright ideas?"

"Get it, 'bright' ideas!" Len chuckles at his own clever(!!) pun.

OOC: On the pace of this - I'm sort of conscious that I need to leave time for others to post, without really knowing whether/when anyone will be. Are we agreeing a strict one post per day. If so I will feel free to post at this rate irrespective of others, but I don't want to seem to be over-posting.

Alas Len is not known for his magical and alchemical knowledge- he giggles slightly as the strange iron fillings continue to dance.

OOC: Feel free to over-post I'm bored, I'll be honest I don't get this- I started out saying the ability to post every day, and yet... nope, I just don't get it.

 

[Walking Dad]

Thorgrim Wildaxe

Thorgrim investigates the equipment of the dead dwarf as Mardred is messing around with the metal box.
Are the boots still intact enough to use?
Can one still discern the skin color of the elf ears?
Had he really no weapon with him?

After indulging his curiosity, he will try something else:
Will the door close again if the button is pushed again?

On his way back to the button, he nearly stumbles about the skeletons on the ground... has no one noticed them yet? (26 AI-AJ; 25 AL)

[sblock=OOC]

[sblock=sheet]
Thorgrim Wildaxe
Played by Walking Dad
Dwarf Ranger Level 1

Perception: 17 Insight: 12 Low-light Vision

AC 14 Fortitude 15 Reflex 12 Will 12
Initiative: +1 Speed: 5
Str 18 Con 16 Dex 13 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 8

Hit Points: 33 / 33 Bloodied: 16
Temporary Hit Points: 0
Healing Surge: 8 Surges per day: 9 / 9

Resist:
Saving Throw: +5 vs Poison.

Action Points: 1 Second Wind: 1 (Minor Action)

Languages: Common, Dwarven.

Trained Skills: Athletics +8, Dungeoneering +9, Endurance +9, Heal +7, Perception +7.
Other Skills: Acrobatics 0, Arcana 0, Bluff -1, Diplomacy -1, History +0, Insight +2, Intimidate -1, Nature +2, Religion +0, Stealth 0, Streetwise -1, Thievery 0.

Feats: Toughness, Dwarven Weapon Training.

Traits:
Stand Your Ground- You move 1 less square with Forced Movement, and get an Immediate Saving Throw to avoid being knocked Prone.
Prime Shot- +1 To Hit if closest to enemy with Ranged attack.

At-Will Powers: Standard Actions.
Melee Basic Attack (Waraxe): +6 vs AC 1d12+6 damage.
Ranged Basic Attack (None):
Maraunder's Rush (Waraxe): +6 vs AC 1d12+8 damage (Wis bonus included in damage). Can use in place of Charge attack.
Twin Strike (Waraxe & Waraxe) +6 vs AC 1d12+2 damage & +6 vs AC 1d12+2 damage.

At-Will Powers: Minor Actions.
Hunter's Quarry: You designate the nearest enemy as your Quarry and deal an extra 1d6 damage against the creature. The Quarry remains active until the creature is killed or you designate a different enemy as Quarry. Minor Action.

Encounter Powers: Minor Actions.
Off-Hand Strike (Waraxe & Waraxe): +6 vs AC 1d12+6 damage. Minor Action.
Second Wind: Healing Surge & +2 to all Defences until end of next turn. Minor Action.

Daily Powers: Standard Actions.
Sudden Strike (Waraxe & Waraxe): +6 vs AC 1d12+2 damage. Regardless of hit or not Shift 1 square and make a secondary attack against the same target. +6 vs AC 2d12+6 damage, and the target is Weakened until the end of your next Round.

Conditions:

[/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[Goonalan]

Thorgrim Wildaxe

Thorgrim investigates the equipment of the dead dwarf as Mardred is messing around with the metal box.
Are the boots still intact enough to use?
Can one still discern the skin color of the elf ears?
Had he really no weapon with him?

After indulging his curiosity, he will try something else:
Will the door close again if the button is pushed again?

OOC: Hurrah!

The Leather armour and clothing are beyond repair, and ancient.

The Thieves Tools are, except for the bag, all present and correct and seem to have suffered little, if at all, over the ages- certainly they are good enough to use.

The boots... but what's this a piece of paper falls out as Thorgrim slides of the Dwarf's right boot off, he puts the paper aside until he has finished his checks. The boots themselves are worn thin, and would tear easily if worn.

The dried Elf ears are a mixture of pinky-white (4), and grey (5). The grey was probably once a darker colour.

The Dwarf is unarmed, there's no weapon within the chamber, nor on the Dwarf's person.

Thorgrim moves to the statue with button, presses it again- nothing happens.

Then he remembers the paper, carefully unfolds it and reads the following- written in Davek (the Dwarven tongue)-

"At the gates of gilded blood,
one click sinister, then shun both extremes.
Keep to the centre, keep your life."

OOC: More clues, but to what...

Hmm... but what's this, Thorgrim inspects the partial remains of several Skeletons, part buried within the rubble- they look to be picked clean, perhaps the work of vermin- the bones snap and break easily- they're ancient. Perhaps caught in the towers collapse...

OOC: Glad to have you back Walking Dad, I was beginning to despair.

 

[Goonalan]

WHUMP

Suddenly the centre of the stony rubble pile rises up several inches, and then as suddenly collapses- rocks, dirt and debris tumble in to the crater.

And that's not all, a pair of Beetles scurry forth.

Each of the creatures is four-or-so feet long, and two-or-so feet hight, and covered in a shiny black carapice. Along the joins, between the armoured ridged plates that make up the creatures exoskeleton, are seering red to gold bulging bands.

Fire Beetles, and at close quarters, this could prove dangerous.

OOC: As a free action you are allowed to make a Monster Knowledge check, normally I wont be telling you the names of the enemies you face- save at times like this when it's obvious to you what the creatures/monsters are. Fire Beetles are Natural Beasts- that means you can make a free Nature Check at any time and I will tell you what you know- obviously the higher the better on your rolls. Other creatures require other Monster Knowledge checks, and so- Abberation = Dungeoneering Elemental = Arcana Fey = Arcana Immortal (Devils, Demons & Angels) = Religion Natural = Nature Shadow = Arcana Undead = Religion For the most part you will have to guess from my description as to which of the above a creature belongs- warning, you can find out some useful stuff from these checks, do not dismiss them lightly.

Back to the action-

The Beetles look for targets, prepare to sally forth or else warm you up a little.

OOC: Roll Initiative, and make any Nature checks you wish.

Map to follow-

http://gallery.rptools.net/v/contrib/goonalan/

 

[Walking Dad]

...

OOC: Glad to have you back Walking Dad, I was beginning to despair.

OOC: Glad to be here. Had some problems to connect to EN World during the day (it is currently 2 past midnight where I live).

 

[Goonalan]

Mardred

Mardred quickly drops the pouch (safely), and readies himself for action, at the same taking a moment to see what he knows about Fire Bettles.

OOC: Nature check 18- need 20 or higher for the good stuff.

Madred screams a warning to the others- "fire breathers, don't get too close together, beware!"

 

[Ressurectah]

Krogan

Krogan will leap into the action, attacking the nearest firebeatle. He will heed the warning from Mardred, but getting too close is the only way Krogan knows how to fight...

OOC: When we determine the initiative sequence, I will explain my actions.