(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim whistles as he enters the Arcane Gem Press. He looks over the machine trying to determine how it works. He does not touch any of the controls yet but notes the two strange inflow and outflow controls.

"This is amazing. Don't touch anything. Give me a minute to figure out how it works."

OOC: Not sure if I should roll an Arcana check, Mechanics check or both. I also would like to look for any traps.

 

[Quickleaf]

Logrim whistles as he enters the Arcane Gem Press. He looks over the machine trying to determine how it works. He does not touch any of the controls yet but notes the two strange inflow and outflow controls.

"This is amazing. Don't touch anything. Give me a minute to figure out how it works."

OOC: Not sure if I should roll an Arcana check, Mechanics check or both. I also would like to look for any traps.

GM: Absolutely. There are a whole bunch of checks that can be made here... we can say you all spend 10 minutes examining the room. There are no signs of obvious trap-like things – i.e. no tripwires, no scraped or uplifted flagstones, no pits, etc. Investigation (DC 15) to search for glimmers of a glyph (like the lightning glyph you encountered before). However, this requires moving around and raising/lowering light source, so roll of 10 or less indicates accidentally activating any glyph (if there is one). Arcana (DC 12+ scaling) to determine the magical purpose of the Arcane Gem Press, and to conjecture potentially creative uses beyond its intended use. Mechanics (DC 12+ scaling) to determine HOW to operate the Arcane Gem Press. History (DC 12) to walk the room, examine the bas reliefs of the dwarven procession carrying gems, and make connections between the Arcane Gem Press and other historical/legendary aspects of Icewind Dale. +2 if you speak Dwarvish. Optionally, can run hand along walls while examining bas reliefs – detecting any illusory walls, but risking any traps/tricks/monsters in the walls. Dungeoneering (DC 12) to examine the hole in the ceiling where the pipes and pistons go to make an educated guess about what is happening above the Arcane Gem Press. However, this requires getting up close to the ceiling, either standing on the Gem Press, levitating, or being lifted up on an ally's shoulders.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric eyes in amazement at the magical device. He had never been exposed to such a thing. Wanting to make himself useful, he summons a bond fire in the room in an unoccupied space where there is nothing else to help with the light

OOC: cast summon bond fire

 

[Necropolitan]

Zeth rubs his hands together, showing an uncharacteristic outpouring of emotion as he cackles in glee.

"The potential! The opportunities! We can't use this right now but if we had gems...we need to get gems, this is too good to pass up!"

Then he remembers they're chasing a serial killer.

"Later. Definitely."

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim walks around the room looking for the subtle hint of magic runes or proximity traps similar to the lightning trap. Once he determines that there are no traps Logrim begins to examine the controls trying to figure out how to use the press.

OOC: Investigation Check: 1d20+3 23 Mechanics Check: 1d20+5 7 Well fluffed the mechanics roll.

 

[Quickleaf]

Logrim walks around the room looking for the subtle hint of magic runes or proximity traps similar to the lightning trap. Once he determines that there are no traps Logrim begins to examine the controls trying to figure out how to use the press.

OOC: Investigation Check: 1d20+3 23 Mechanics Check: 1d20+5 7 Well fluffed the mechanics roll.

GM: Definitely no signs of glyphs or similar things. This is a complex device! Based on how your uncle Jorlen had access to the Temple of Dumathoin to a degree it seems many dwarves didn't even have...it's possible Jorlen could instruct you in the operation of the Arcane Gem Press on a return trip. I forget if we said Jorlen is in Bryn Shander? As it stands, you'd need to spend a couple hours thoroughly examining the device from top to bottom to figure out its simplest function (making mundane gems more valuable).

Spoiler: Map

 

[Neurotic]

When he initially saw the contraption, Lumrolur dismissed it as something he cannot help with. But once the group started checking the device and he realized there might be traps and even better, he got to slink into tight spaces and do what svirfneblin do best, navigate tight, twisting tunnels, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

He shares his knowledge with the group, but is quick to remind them they're on the trail. After about 15 minutes of crawling, checking, twisting and investigating the thing he calls out
"There is no chance we can do anything about this right now. Let's move on. We still need to pull the toads out of the area so that dwarves can reclaim it. And we have a killer to catch."

OOC: nat 20 on dungeoneering

Spoiler: Actions

neurotic: D20 + 4#lumrolurdungeoneering → 24(20 + 4)#Lumrolur dungeoneering

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim sighs he was not his Uncle and can't make heads or tails of this contraption. It would take him hours to figure it out. He looks at the crystal in his hand. He knows that he could re-infuse it with the press but without understanding how it worked there was to much risk of damaging the crystal.

"I can't make any sense of this device. If I could talk with my Uncle he could probably tell me what needs to be done. But it would take me hours to figure it out myself."

He looks to the others.

"We don't have time. I'll have to get Ludo fixed later. Unless someone else has an idea how this works?"

Logrim looks hopefully at the others in the room especially at Brydum.

OOC: Yes his Uncle is in Bryn Shander.

 

[Quickleaf]

When he initially saw the contraption, Lumrolur dismissed it as something he cannot help with. But once the group started checking the device and he realized there might be traps and even better, he got to slink into tight spaces and do what svirfneblin do best, navigate tight, twisting tunnels, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

He shares his knowledge with the group, but is quick to remind them they're on the trail. After about 15 minutes of crawling, checking, twisting and investigating the thing he calls out
"There is no chance we can do anything about this right now. Let's move on. We still need to pull the toads out of the area so that dwarves can reclaim it. And we have a killer to catch."

OOC: nat 20 on dungeoneering

Spoiler: Actions

neurotic: D20 + 4#lumrolurdungeoneering → 24(20 + 4)#Lumrolur dungeoneering

GM: There's a chamber above the Arcane Gem Press – you're not able to find a way inside from here, but the pipes are designed to transfer some kind of dense liquid (not water) from that chamber down into the Gem Press. Based on the convex curve to the ceiling and the scale, the chamber above might be some kind of larger reservoir.

Logrim sighs he was not his Uncle and can't make heads or tails of this contraption. It would take him hours to figure it out. He looks at the crystal in his hand. He knows that he could re-infuse it with the press but without understanding how it worked there was to much risk of damaging the crystal.

"I can't make any sense of this device. If I could talk with my Uncle he could probably tell me what needs to be done. But it would take me hours to figure it out myself."

He looks to the others.

"We don't have time. I'll have to get Ludo fixed later. Unless someone else has an idea how this works?"

Logrim looks hopefully at the others in the room especially at Brydum.

Brydum shakes his beard, "I'm afraid the device is beyond me, young gnome. I can tell you tales of my ancestor Dorn Black Axe and the magic items he was said to have hidden in the Temple, but the Gem Press... it's one of the most closely guarded secrets of Dumathoin's priests." He begins to gesture as if he might explain where a gem would sit and how it would be tightened in place – steps obvious to Logrim, but then realizes he'd just be flailing for words. "Ach! You probably can tell more about it than I can, Logrim."

 

[happylace]

Once the room is confirmed clear of traps, Alma does a circle around the press. Examining it from every angle, along with the rest of the room. It's a curious device. Nothing she's ever come across or heard about. She tries to reason out how it could work based on how it's put together, but even that is only a surface level assumption. This is far outside her realm of expertise.

"It's mechanisms seem complex. There could be instructions elsewhere in the compound. It would be short-sighted to leave all knowledge up to memory. We can keep an eye out for them as we travel."