(5.24 PBP) Vault of the Dracolich (IC) Redux

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Merrick- Team AMBUSH

Merrick Thorburn Race: Human	HP: 45/53 AC: 15/17(with shield)	Buffs:
Rage: 3/3	Inner Healing:1/4	HD: 3/3
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 16+3(+5) DEX: 13+1(+1) CON: 16+3(+5) INT: 8-1(+-1) WIS: 10+0(+0) CHA:11 +0(+0)	Spoiler: Skills Athletics+5 Intimidate: 2/5 Perception: 2/5 Performance 2 Stealth: 3/5 Survival: 2/5	Spoiler: Spells Daily: JUMP: 1/1 At will Thaumaturgy Message

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Merrick watches everyone pile in and around the cart. He finishes eating a piece of beef jerky then He gathers his things and picks up the Dwarf’s (battle?, great?)Axe and hefts it into the cart for later.

It looks like they aren’t splitting up yet.

OOC: @Snarf Zagyg we used the key to access a chest. We opened it but I can’t remember what we found Edit Spoiler: Lockbox Copper rifled through the wagon, and found (just where he suspected it would be) a lock-box under the driver's seat, where he also found a tin flask of spirits, and a healer's kit. It didn't take long to match the key to the lockbox. When opened (careful of traps, which it, perhaps surprisingly, lacked) it held about 60 gold worth of various coins and low-value gems.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Ambush

Corrah asked, "So no one wants to make the climb? Fair enough! I'll go as far as the Watchtower with you then, and then I'll go report to Imani."

The wagon set off again, with an entirely new crew, while the bodies of its old crew lay in some underbrush between two levels of the switchback, not visible from the road from either side.

OOC: I gather that this is what you generally collectively want. Ready to move forward?

 

[Steve Gorak]

Team Lake

OOC: Aywin coming or jump-spelling it?

Aywin readily joins the Northman for this exciting controlled fall in the kayak

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Lake

Aywin reembarked with Loklafd and their kayak pushed off, leaving a torch behind. As they neared the waterfall, Loklafd said, "Lay back as we go forward: It will feel like you are standing."

Aywin did, but as the kayak plunged nose-first into the lake, he stood a little too far up, and he was pulled from his seat. The weight of the waterfall pushed him downward, and Loklafd popped back up to the surface alone. The big northman could tell before he opened his eyes from the 'feel' of the weight of the kayak that he'd lost his fellow passenger, and he spun the kayak around, waiting for Aywin to surface.

A brief moment passed and then Aywin came up with a gasp and Loklafd quickly paddled over to him. It was much easier to simply hold onto the kayak and be ferried to shore than it was to climb back in, so Aywin wound up climbing onto the muddy bank near Bill, drenched and mucky, but none the worse for it.

OOC: I rolled for you rather than going back-and-forth. Bad roll. Sorry! But Loklafd rolled well and saved you. Teamwork!

 

[Lidgar]

Bjorn tried to put the unnatural rock out of his mind. Foul magic at play, no doubt.

Upon seeing the glowing sword, he swam forward to inspect it closer and tried to get a better angle of approach.

There.

Bjorn lashed out at the sword with his tongue, aiming for the hilt still grasped in the bony hand.

OOC: Treating this as an bite attack/grapple with the frog tongue. Rolled damage in case that's helpful to see if he can pull it free. The DC for the grappling tongue is 11. Frog bite attack (piercing damage, DC 11 grappled if hit): 1D20+3 = [15]+3 = 18 1D6+2 = [5]+2 = 7

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The Watchtower
~15:40 on 4 Tarsakh 1483DR

The wagon rolled up to an old stone bridge that crossed the river in front of a tall stone watchtower. From this close, more details could be seen: The strange black stones of Blackpeak seemed to wrap themselves around the base of the tower, as if the tower had been there before the mountain, and the mountain had flowed around the tower's base. Nominally, there was no way up to the tower from the road, which wound westward in front of it, after crossing the bridge. But the black rock would not be difficult to climb, if assaulting the tower became necessary.

The tower appeared to have three levels: 1) The ground, buried under and behind the black rock; 2) The guardroom, with arrow-loops overlooking the road, and 3) The roof, where two mercenary guards could be seen peering between crenelations. It seemed that they had a ballista, which could shoot as far as the other side of the river, but effective arrow-range was more reasonably the middle of the bridge.

The two guards on the roof held up a red-and-black flag, with a similar image to that of the mercenaries' patches, and they waved it back and forth. The password, if it were real, would need to be yelled above the roar of the river.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Lake

Bjorn shot out his tongue, and the sword (and the gauntlet holding it) came free from the corpse. The corpse tipped forward, and its tattered leather backpack fell open, scattering coins that had been contained inside. They fell, catching the very furthest (and underwater) reflections of Loklafd's torchlight, which caused them to flash occasionally to Bjorn's frog-eyes, as they tumbled toward the bottom of the lake.

The mass of aquatic vines began to move. First, by wrapping tightly around the corpse as if it were a prize that was being stollen, then one or two began to slowly lash out at anything moving - which in this case was Bjorn, and his swimming frog-legs.

OOC: This is more of a Hazard than it is a Monster. @Lidgar Bjorn can swim free with a dc13 STR Athletics or DEX Acrobatics check, or he will be grabbed.

 

[Lidgar]

Bjorn tried to swim free of the aquatic weeds, but only succeeded in entangling himself further. He suddenly became very thankful that he could breath underwater as he paused and took stock, trying to figure out how he could entangle himself while gingerly holding the sword in his mouth.

OOC: Acrobatics check to swim free: 1D20+3 = [1]+3 = 4 Crit failure again! Frogs are apparently extremely vulnerable to weed attacks...

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Bjorn

The more Bjorn struggled, the more the vines squeezed and contracted, pulling him lower in the water. He understood how a creature (such as the dead humanoid) who needed to breathe would quickly become panicked, only to further entrap themselves as they thrashed, drowning.

However, he reminded himself that he did not have that trouble, as his frog-skin was breathing for him. He relaxed, and the vines slowly became more relaxed in turn. Moving slowly, he slipped out of their bonds and swam carefully to freedom.

OOC: Back to Bill, I suppose? Or do you want to carefully go back for coins?