Kulan: Knightfall's Crisis in Bluffside Game [IC]

[Knightfall]

Knowing that Waldo loves to use fire spells, Tim will graciously accept protection vs. fire.

Castellana nods and incants her spell and a field of blue energy encompasses Tim for several seconds. He can momentarily see his breath as the magic settles on his skin and armor. Then the sensation passes.

OOC: Resist Energy (Fire): Fire Resistance 10 for 70 minutes.

"It's a trap," Tuck mutters, indicating the hallway and motioning for Tim to not move yet.

First the kobold looks at the statues from afar. "Gargoyles? Something seems off. Maybe a trap within the statues."

Breva shuffles around in the tight space to enact Tim's suggestion and can't help smiling as he is reminded of a country dance popular back in his mountain home. He breaks his revere and responds to Tuck. "A trap you say? There must be some way to disarm it or whatever villains use this place could not get in. If it is a secret phrase or some magic we may not be able to disarm it, but if there is some device perhaps you can find it?"

Castellana turns to Tuck and raises an eyebrow. "I didn't sense anything near the doors. Of course, I rarely practice my old stealth skills anymore." She looks like she's going to say more but then decides against it.

She watches as Falen makes his way down from above. The half-hobgoblin makes the descent look routine. Once down he takes a look at the cramped quarters of the room. Suddenly, he feels like he's back in the cramped interior of the ship that brought him to Bluffside. All that's missing is the smell of the sea.

Custodio waits for his turn up above.

Then (Tuck) inspects the floor, ceiling and walls, looking for any odd bits, increments or different materials and surfaces.

He picks up the pebble he threw down before, weighing it in his clawed hand to judge how best to throw it down the hallway to trigger any traps.

OOC: Search for traps in the corridor: Search: 1D20+15 = [12]+15 = 27 If Tuck finds any and can reasonably assume it is triggered safely by the pebble, he throws it. If he finds no traps, he will throw it, too, just to make sure.

Castellana hands the sunrod to Akos before moving to help Tuck.

Tuck goes over every inch of the choke point before heading into the room itself. The two pillars are soon flanking him with Mutt sitting 10 feet behind him. The dog seems to be guarding Tuck's back. Castellana and Breva try to help him search the pillars, walls, and floors without anyone moving too far into the room. Castellana is of help but Breva seems more intent in spotting an enemy foe and examining the statues for any movement. No one steps on the central metal section of the room's floor.

The urban ranger finds no triggering mechanism that sets off a trap or a hidden switch or lever that would disarm a trap. The pebble he throws bounces on the metal floor, which he can now see is made of iron. (The metal looks like it would be smooth to the touch.) The pebble bounces several times like if it was skipping on water. Nothing happens. No trap goes off and the two gargoyles don't move.

Yet, Tuck's scales continue to itch.

He knows there is something wrong with the room. He can see all the way down to the other side of the room. 20 feet beyond the statues, the room narrows back into a 10 foot corridor that continues on beyond the range of the light and his darkvision. Two more columns sit in the room's other corners and flank the opening into the far corridor.

"I didn't find anything," the diviner whispers to Tuck. "Did you?"

OOC: Castellana - Search (Aid Another) (DC 10): 1D20+6 = [6]+6 = 12 (success)[/OOC] (+2 to Tuck Search check)

He begins to look about. "Perhaps we could all help?"

OOC: Spot Check [url=CoyoteCode Dice Roller: 1D20+3 = [18]+3 = 21[/url]

Custodio begins his descent after Breva moves forward to help the kobold urban ranger. By the time he makes it down, the paladin has had a chance to study the room in front of him in detail. He doesn't move beyond where Tuck says it is safe.

Breva looks into the room as far as his vision allows. The room is fairly plain. There are no markings on the walls or any signs of scorch marks. that would be from a fire spell. The gargoyles look like they are just statues. If they are true gargoyles they are holding so still that he cannot see them breathe. Do gargoyles breathe? He isn't sure. His fields of knowledge is religion and nobility not the natural world.

Castellana watches Breva intently. She goes back to Akos and retrieves the sunrod. She brings the light forward, so she and the paladin can view the two gargoyles under full light. She can now see the other two columns. Again, the two stony figures don't move.

"I don't think those are true gargoyles," she whispers to Tuck. "Hmm," she holds the light up higher and moves it left and right. "That one looks strange." She points to the eastern statue. "I don't think it's alive but thing it might be magical. If we go near it, it will likely animate and attack." She looks at Breva. "I don't think it is undead. It could be some sort of construct. I'm not sure."

The figure still doesn't move, even with Tuck only 15 feet away from it. The kobold urban ranger knows that the arcanus is probably right. He'd have to get a lot closer for anything to happen. Perhaps the spot right in front of it. In the full light, he can see that the other gargoyle is definitely only a statue, but it could still be an animated object. He is fairly sure that there isn't a trap attached to the metal floor or to the other statue, but he's not sure about beyond the end of the metal floor.

His scales continue to itch but the sensation isn't as strong as was originally.

Castellana moves back to the others. She motions to Akos. "Loremaster, I think one of the statues is actually a construct of some kind, but I can't really tell what it might be. It looks like a gargoyle but it looks... disjointed."

Spoiler: DM Only

Castellana - Knowledge (arcana) check: 1D20+9 = [8]+9 = 17
Castellana - Knowledge (religion) check: 1D20+7 = [12]+7 = 19

 

[JustinCase]

Tuck nods, agreeing with Castellanas assessment of the statues. To be fair, his expertise is in mundane traps, not magical ones or animated objects, but it seems logical enough.

"Don't touch the metal," he says, pointing to the floor surface between the statues. Not that the kobold is sure there is a trap there, but better safe than sorry.

Then, on instinct, Tuck starts looking around the hallway. First with his eyes, then he closes them and, using his other senses, almost preternaturally feels what his eyes aren't telling him.

OOC: Casting the ranger spell Detect Secret Doors. Almost forgot I had it prepared.

 

[Neurotic]

Akos follows to the entrance, but doesn't walk between the statues.
Attuning himself to emanations of magic, he scans the room, slowly and carefully, focusing on any aura found to analyze it.

 

[Knightfall]

Tuck nods, agreeing with Castellanas assessment of the statues. To be fair, his expertise is in mundane traps, not magical ones or animated objects, but it seems logical enough.

"Don't touch the metal," he says, pointing to the floor surface between the statues. Not that the kobold is sure there is a trap there, but better safe than sorry.

Then, on instinct, Tuck starts looking around the hallway. First with his eyes, then he closes them and, using his other senses, almost preternaturally feels what his eyes aren't telling him.

OOC: Casting the ranger spell Detect Secret Doors. Almost forgot I had it prepared.

Tuck moves as far down the hallway as he dares without touching the metal floor or touching the two statues. He senses that he can get closer to the statue along the western wall without anything happening. He gets a better vantage of the other 'statue' and can tell just by looking at it that it is not the same as the statue in front of him. The overall look is more fragmented than the mundane statue. He can see what appears to be... stitching on the construct's face. It is definitely a guardian of some kind.

Mutt whines softly, as he doesn't like Tuck being so far away, but he sits and waits.

Looking at the mundane statue, he's certain he could slip by it to the other side of the room without too much difficulty, but as he reaches out with his enhanced senses, he immediately detects danger up ahead. Just beyond the metal floor, is a hidden compartment -- a trapdoor in the floor designed to be hidden until someone steps on it. It is 10 feet by 10 feet and completely blocks the path into the hallway that leads north.

Tuck's scales stop itching.

He knows that if he can get past the statue and to the trap door, he can probably disarm it. The question is, if he goes past the mundane statue, will the guardian attack him?

OOC: Tuck can make a Climb check (DC 12) to climb over the statue to the other side or he can make a Balance check (DC 15). Getting past the statue without touching the metal floor is a bit awkward, which is why the Balance check is harder. On a Natural 1, Tuck falls onto the metal floor unless he makes a successful Dexterity check (DC 20).

Akos follows to the entrance, but doesn't walk between the statues.
Attuning himself to emanations of magic, he scans the room, slowly and carefully, focusing on any aura found to analyze it.

Castellana stays back near Mutt to let Akos have a full field of vision. Breva stands next to the Loremaster. Tuck tells Akos and the others to stay off the metal section of the floor in the rectangular room's center. Akos is forced to step away from the young paladin and around the column towards the so-called construct to avoid being distracted by the aura emanating from Breva's armor.

The Loremaster knows that his innate knowledge of auras won't reveal the construct's true nature. Constructs are not magical items, but if there is a magical trigger that will cause it to attack, Akos should be able to sense it. Once he's able to focus on just the statue in front of him, he immediately sees an aura from a strange bone collar around the thing's neck. The aura is faint and it is based on Transmutation magic. Perhaps it is what is keeping the thing from attacking or what will activate if Akos and the others get too close. The Loremaster doesn't see any auras on the floor or any lingering auras beyond the statue and construct.

Is it a construct though? Akos wonders.

Spoiler: For Neurotic Only

Akos - Knowledge (arcana) check: 1D20+13 = [16]+13 = 29 (success)

Akos suddenly knows what is standing in front of him. It is unique type of flesh golem known as a gargoyle golem. The collar around its neck likely enhances its fighting abilities and the golem has been encased in armor that looks like it could have come from the skin of a real gargoyle. The construct is smaller than a normal flesh golem but is it is still dangerous. Akos looks up to see that the ceiling is the same height as that of the first room... 20 feet. If it gets airborne...

Akos knows that its creator likely gave it a pass phrase that will allow people to pass unchallenged. The Loremaster senses that if anyone goes past it without speaking the correct phrase, it will attack. The metal floor likely doesn't matter.

OOC: Akos knows its magical immunities and that it can go berserk (as per the Flesh Golem entry in the MM pp. 135-136). Unlike a normal flesh golem, a gargoyle golem can fly 60 feet, although it is considered a poor flier. The extra gargoyle armor and collar are external enhancements that someone has made to the construct to make it tougher.

 

[ScottDeWar_jr]

Ahem
"Pardon me, but if you are trying to get past the iron plate between the gargoyles, would being levitated help"

 

[Neurotic]

Loremaster enters his lecture mode.
"The right one is called Gargoyle construct. The difference between it and normal flesh golem is the armor it wears, made of stone...actual gargoyle skin. And it can fly. It is slow and clumsy, but it can get aerial.

It is highly resistant to magic, fire and ice will slow it down somewhat, lighting will heal it so don't hit it with lightning. That collar around its neck is magical and likely some kind of enhancement of the golem, maybe to make it resistant to fire or to make it stronger. If you can remove it somehow, it would be ideal.

It is also resistant somewhat to physical damage, but given our team fighters it shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. I essentially cannot harm it, but I can help you in the battle by healing and enhancing."

He motions toward the plate and the other construct
"I don't see anything on the plate or the statue. Doesn't mean it is safe, just that it is not magical."

Turning back toward the golem.
"I have a spell that creates a force, not a creature so it may bypass the activation depending on how it was worded. I would like to try and remove the necklace before we enter. Tuck, you may want to come back for that one. And we may want to clear out the rooms first, just in case."

OOC: Knightfall, do I use your roll for Knowledge devotion or should I roll new one?
The force thingy I'm thinking of is Unseen Servant - it is not a creature, it will not attack...and may remove the necklace...maybe

 

[JustinCase]

Tuck curses to himself, then with the new information he hesitates.

"There's a trap right behind the metal," he states for his allies to hear. "I think I can disarm it, but are we sure the golem will not attack me if I try?"

Then he turns to Vinny and grins his strange reptilian grin. "That would certainly help, thanks!"

Once he is levitated, Tuck decides to hover over the metal instead. He looks at where the trap is, then turns to the golem.

"I am going to take the necklace," he warns the others, "Prepare yourselves!"

OOC: Tuck will wait until Akos casts the Unseen Servant spell before actually taking the necklace.

 

[Neurotic]

@JustinCase Unseen Servant will take the necklace. If Tuck approaches he will probably activate the golem. That's why servant goes (it is not a creature)

"Tuck, no! My spell can manipulate items and may not activate the golem. Wait! What the rest of you think, should we clear out the rooms first?"

 

[JustinCase]

OOC: Oh, I misunderstood. But before I change my action (probably to land beyond the metal floor), I'll wait to see what the others think.

 

[ScottDeWar_jr]

Words are flying back and forth and are so confusing that poor Vincenzo almost cast the spell too early! He waits , but while doing so he flexes and loosens his fingers to do the hand gestures of the levitate spell.