D&D 5E (IC) Fitz's Folly

[FitzTheRuke]

Braapp sniffed at his friend, now in some sort of stiffened state and howled.

Qawasha looked Myrral over as well and announced, "He is breathing, and will recover with time. If these slimes have eyes that can do this, I think that we must go with Miss Imogen's suggestion and continue down."

Ghorrak nodded and picked Myrral up. He was surprisingly gentle with the catfolk for a scarred, brutal-looking Thayan Orc. He put Myrral over his shoulder and began the trip around the open balcony.

OOC: One more level down? Let's go!

 

[Kobold Stew]

Miss Imogen leads the way cautiously, hoping to stop at the base of the stairs, arrow nocked. Small Kapalue follows behind her, squeaking somehting to Qawasha who is further back. Kapalue readies his sling.

A stray thought crosses her mind, and she recalls their purpose in being here. She thinks of all those that suffer under the weight of this Curse, and all that stand to benefit by the actions of this group. The face she gives to those countless many who may never know what it is this group does, however, is the small child in the bazaar that she met only in passing many months ago. She reaches back and feels the form of the doll, squished into the outer pocket of her pack, and she sighs.

A bead of sweat rolls down her cheek, and under her collar, where it freezes. So much has changed.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Myrral was beginning to stir as Imogen reached the bottom of the stairs and had a look around at the fourth level of the Tomb, in the light of Chrysagon's glowing flail. To the left of the staircase down, a hallway led away south until it was obscured by cobwebs. On this level, the 'balcony' of the grand staircase only circled half of the square shaft, with a hallway leading to the west. One final staircase on the north wall led to the bottom, fifteen feet down.

In the centre of the room stood four pillars, each topped by a four-armed gargoyle. Imogen and the others had fought these creatures before (though these were the largest they'd seen) and they did not trust for a moment that they were simple statues, though they stood perfectly still, lifeless. From above, Chrysagon's light showed that each pillar (under the gargoyle's feet) were capped in metal plating: copper; silver; gold, and a white-platinum.

Between the pillars appeared to be an open pit, from which a rumbling noise could be heard. Past the pillars to the east, a large hallway led off into darkness.

Sudden movement in the shadows below revealed one of the strange-headed skeletons, shuffling about in the south-east corner. This one was blackened, and had a head that was five-sided. It ignored them as it shuffled about aimlessly.

OOC: 1) South to webs; 2) Westward hallway; 3) Bottom of stairs, leading to 4) Eastern hallway. Stars are gargoyles on pillars.

Spoiler: Picture of Gargoyles

Spoiler: Map

 

[Prickly Pear]

Imogen, Chrysagon inquires. What do you think are the significance of the different meeh-tal platings on top of the pillars?
Chrysagon had stopped on top of the landing and was looking down on the gargoyles and the pillars. The gargoyles were only statues, right? They were not moving at all but he had already seen what these creatures could do and he would not be fooled by them. It was weird though... they had not attacked the group yet. They may only react if they get attacked themselves or if something is touched or broken nearby.

He continued talking to Imogen. I think you are right. We should continue down to the bottom. Let's check out the pit and then, maah-aybe, continue through the eastern hallway. What do you think? he asked everyone.

And, he added after some consideration, let's see if we can catch the strange-looking skeleton. When we get down there, let's not look at it and pretend we don't see it. The skeleton maah-ight come to us. I knew a cat once that only came to you if you didn't pay it any attention, but would run away as soon as you walked towards it. Stupid cat! Chrysagon stopped himself and looked at the Tabaxis. Sorry, he muttered sheepishly, no offence meeh-ant.

 

[Neurotic]

OOC: last one had 4 sided head. How about the first one we saw, the one near that maze?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: last one had 4 sided head. How about the first one we saw, the one near that maze?

OOC: IIRC you saw one with 8-sides at some point. So 4, 5, & 8, and now...6

Chrysagon indicated to continue downward, and the group moved forward. Weed squeaked as they approached the corner to the west-leading hallway and held up a leafy hand for the others to be quiet. Imogen and Weed peeked around the corner and found that there was another skeleton nearby, this one with a hexagonal head.

Spoiler: Map

 

[Kobold Stew]

Imogen looks at Chrysagon and points at the hexagocephalic skeleton.

"You want to try to hold that one down?" she asks, dubiously. "I'll help if so."

(She will give her bow to Weed and offer to Help with a grapple if that's desired. Otherwise her instinct is to ignore it and continue the descent.)

 

[Neurotic]

Myrral fluffs up his fur and shakes all over.
"Gah!" comes out of him like it was something started just before he stiffened
"I'm fine, Braapp. The group wants to capture that skeleton. What say you we three run at it and try the nets?" he asks in Tabaxi before returning to common
"We, tabaxi, can run at the skeleton and try to net it. We'll be there before y'all get to the corner. And we can run along the walls if needed. A bit slower that way."

OOC: from his current position, using Feline Agility Myrral can get to within 10' of the west skeleton. Braap and Grrol might need a turn to move forward first. Or just use bonus action dashes, action surges and other features of the classes as available.
Move: BC47 (5') - BC42 (25') - BA40 (15' because of the second diagonal move) - AX40 (15') - total 60'

 

[Hades#2]

Grrol was elated that his friend was okay. He was tempted to go hug him but held back due to the presence of the others. When Myrral explained his plan, he nodded.

"Yes! Go destroy skellie!" he agreed in Tabaxi.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Okay, Tabaxi... GO! Braapp will distract the skeleton, giving whoever rolls first between Grrol and Myrral advantage on whatever they're going to do.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Imogen, Chrysagon inquires. What do you think are the significance of the different meeh-tal platings on top of the pillars?

"Honestly," Miss Imogen replies, "I'm not sure." She bridles slightly at the absence of her honorific, since only a few graduates of Miss Enna's school had earned the title, but she lets it slide. It is information form Miss Enna's school that she repeats verbatim now, however.

"'The use of metals in ancient construction can have ritual, natural, or magical use.' Ritual or symbolic metals do not concern us -- that amounts to aesthetics, and we can't determine their significance with what we know. Natural use refers to the fact that some metals pass lightning, and some heat up. The different metals here suggest that is not the case. And Magical use is outside of my training. If it's a puzzle we're meant to solve, then we need to deal with the gargoyles on top of the pillars first. Perhaps knowing that their threat is real to us can help us avoid injuries."

Had she ever spoken so many words to Chrysagon at once? She must be nervous. "But I agree with your assessment. Down and start with the eastern haallway, once this skeleton is dealt with."

Her offer to help with the subdual had been unneccessary; there were others more keen than her to do this. She stood there ready, arrow nocked.

 

[Neurotic]

Myrral waits for the hunters to get in position before launching himself forward with a net in his jaws.

Skidding close to the skeleton, he uses the speed of his movement and barely needs to throw the net, only spread it in controlled fashion. Tabaxi hunters help, Myrral holds the rope and the two need to restrain it.
"I've got it, " he yells in common "get here!"

Spoiler: Actions

Move + Feline agility:
Action: hits AC 20 with the net
neurotic: D20 + 6#myrralnetthrow → 20(14 + 6)#Myrral net throw
neurotic: D20 + 6#myrralnetthrowadvantage → 20(14 + 6)#Myrral net throw advantage

 

[MetaVoid]

OOC: Does Ussal know anything specific for the metals used in anything but coin making?

Ussal looks at the plates, his first thought is coinage. But at the minimum, silver and platinum can be used for weapons.
"I would sssay, toss a few coinsss of the given metal at the plate. I would go in asssending order, but if you know different..."

As the tabaxi rush off, he sighs and speaks to Yassah

Spoiler: Yuan-ti language

"No wonder we don't hold those as slavesss."

and rushes after them.

Spoiler: Actions

Dash after tabaxi (Move + Action)
Reaction: flash of genius to give +4 for the next grappling/pinning attempt (probably Grrol)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

He sighs and speaks to Yassah

OOC: You mean the Broodguard, I guess, because poor Yassah is dead.

 

[Prickly Pear]

Interesting, Chrysagon agreed with Imogen. I think you are right and this is yet another puzzle to solve. And, Ussal, I think you are on the right track. Copper, silver, gold, platinum... that really hints to coinage, doesn't it? We maybe need to appease the gargoyles with coin donations? Maybe we need to place them in front of the pillars... or on top of them? If we can reach the top, that is.

But first he wanted to see if the Tabaxis could catch the strange skeleton. Chrysagon called out to Myrral: Do you have a firm grip of the skeleton?
And now what?!? What are we to do with the skeleton? Is this another puzzle to solve?

 

[Neurotic]

OOC: Maybe Ussal speaks to the dead? @Prickly Pear we don't know if we're holding him, come and help @Hades#2 roll something - grapple (Athletics), hold the net, strike the skeleton...

 

[Prickly Pear]

Chrysagon realised that the Tabaxi might not be strong enough to hold the strange skeleton down. He rushed forward and grappled the skeleton with ease. That should keep it down, he said.

Spoiler: Actions

Grapple (athletics) skeleton with Flash of Genius bonus: 1D20+6+4 = [20]+6+4 = 30

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Myrral, Grrol, and Brrapp climbed all over the giant skeleton, trying to topple it over. It began to run, but Myrral got his net tangled around one of its legs and it stumbled. Ussal and Chrysagon joined in, and finally, Chyragon was able to hold it down until it stopped struggling and just lay on the ground, defeated. In spite of its large size, with no flesh, it weighed very little. After only a few moments of being held down, it suddenly fell apart - as if the necromantic energy that animated it gave up - and a tumble of bones fell to the ground.

The top of its head, with its strangely-carved sides, fell off and shrank to a manageable size, with a long metal "handle", which made it look like some sort of five-sided key.

 

[Hades#2]

Grrol looks at the skellie and scratches the fur on the side of his head. He had expected it to fight back not fall apart. Maybe it was a trick. They would have to be careful.

Sorry for the delay. Work has been busy. We have no management in the building so all the staff has to work extra to make sure everything gets done.

 

[Prickly Pear]

The sudden collapse of the skeleton surprised Chrysagon and he fell flat on his face. He slowly climbed back on his feet and looked around spotting the head shrinking back into a key. A skeleton key? Really? He picked it up and looked at the strange shape. The key might open a door, or solve a puzzle, that they are yet to discover? Meeh, he bleated and pocketed the key.