(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[Quickleaf]

GM POST

Angrom clutches the unconscious dwarf's hand as Logrim sets to work binding his wounds and keeping the dwarf from biting his tongue in the residual spasms from the lightning, "We'll get you home with your shield, Rurm, not on it."

As Zeth ensures the zombies are given a proper cremation and the rest of you help Russet prop himself up against a wall, Brydum gives Logrim a hand hauling the inert construct out of the room and into Logrim's bag of holding. "He's a brave machine. Your uncle Jorlen would be proud. There's one more level down below, the sanctum where the Arcane Gem Press is, before we reach the passage to the Underdark."

Spoiler: Logrim

@VLAD the Destroyer Logrim wonders if this Arcane Gem Press is anything like those he's heard some gnomes having once upon a time. They're said to be able to take an existing gem and imbue it with magic to make it more valuable – sort of like compressing coal into a diamond in a matter of minutes or hours instead of millions or billions of years. You'd have to get a look at this Arcane Gem Press, but there might be a way to use that to restore the psi crystal powering Logrim.

From Alma, Jack, and Aric's perspective, the silver chalice resting in the statue's hands is entirely separate and could be removed from the statue.

Spoiler: Alma Detect Magic

@happylace Alma still senses transmutation magic around the chalice. She also senses divination magic around the Silver Moon Necklace on the dwarven skeleton, and abjuration magic around the scroll in the open scroll case in the corpse's hands. There is no more magic in the room where the glyph triggered.

Spoiler: Map

@Neurotic

Creeping down the stairs, Lumrolur finds the hall marked by signs of char against the bas relief walls vaguely in the shape of zombies, as if they'd been lightning blasted out of existence. Corpse dust gathers along the bottom seam where floor meets wall. At the end of the passage is a dead-end with another bas relief engraving depicting the dwarven god Dumathoin sharing his gifts freely with jubilant dwarves...

This is different from most of the other bas reliefs which depict Dumathoin hoarding and guarding his secrets. Come to think of it, this dead-end engraving of generous Dumathoin resembles the same engraving on the illusory wall you leapt through...

GM: hours for Rurm regain consciousness: 1D4 = [2] = 2 State of the NPCs Brydum 9 hp out of 13hp Angrom 13 hp Rurm 0 hp (unconscious, stable, 2 hours till conscious; 1 failed death save) Russet 6 out of 31 hp Short Rest House Rule reminder: Short Rests are 10 minutes of catching your breath. You can spend a number of Hit Dice up to your proficiency bonus (i.e. 2 currently), and reset death saving throws.

 

[happylace]

As everyone is patched up and catches their breath, Alma scans the room for anymore sign of arcane danger. "The circle has lost its magic. I believe it's inert now. However," with things more or less stable, she takes the time to examine the scroll and the chalice. Cautiously, she bends down and removes the pendent as well. Then holds them up to Angrom. "I'm unable to read this script. Can you make sense of it? There's more protective magic about it."

She gestures to the chalice and the pendant. "Likewise, this chalice has transmutation magic. When the trap went off, it changed composition somehow. And there is divination attached to this necklace. I'm unfamiliar with the iconography."

Alma looks across towards Logrim, blank-faced as he carefully gathers Ludo into his bag. She holds up the dangling necklace for him to see. "Logrim, would you be able to deduce the properties of these items?"

 

[Quickleaf]

As everyone is patched up and catches their breath, Alma scans the room for anymore sign of arcane danger. "The circle has lost its magic. I believe it's inert now. However," with things more or less stable, she takes the time to examine the scroll and the chalice. Cautiously, she bends down and removes the pendent as well. Then holds them up to Angrom. "I'm unable to read this script. Can you make sense of it? There's more protective magic about it."

She gestures to the chalice and the pendant. "Likewise, this chalice has transmutation magic. When the trap went off, it changed composition somehow. And there is divination attached to this necklace. I'm unfamiliar with the iconography."

Alma looks across towards Logrim, blank-faced as he carefully gathers Ludo into his bag. She holds up the dangling necklace for him to see. "Logrim, would you be able to deduce the properties of these items?"

Angrom strokes his beard and scratches his head, hmms and ahhs, as he studies the scroll, "To be honest Miss Ostergaard, the clergy of Dumathoin were a secretive lot. When we weren't fighting zombies, I scarcely ventured within the temple save for the holy days. It's something about protection – no, that rune is fortification – but I know naught a drop of magic words!"

"Back in the upper chamber... I recall seeing an engraving of a chalice and Dumathoin's holy symbol," he nods toward Brydum who reveals the silver symbol of Dumathoin he has around his neck, "In the engraving a supplicant was holding both chalice and holy symbol aloft before a mighty door."

"Ah, poor Ludo and Rurm." He laments, taking a heavy sigh as he looks from his shield to Rurm's shield on the ground. "Well, I s'ppose I can build a litter for him out of our shields. Give me a hand Brydum. Rurm is heavier than he looks."

Brydum grunts as he finishes binding his own wounds and kneels down to strap together the shields, speaking up to Alma. "My forebear, Dorn Black Axe, founded this temple. I remember a lightning glyph like that during our fighting retreat from the zombies. Th' poor soul there-" he motions to the dwarven corpse, "-was Belleris Stornsharp, our mage. She made the glyphs to ward against monsters coming up from the Underdark. Got her drunk once, and she went on about a tentacled flying thing that was repelled by lightning a baker's dozen times and still wanders the Underdark till this day..."

Spoiler: Logrim or anyone knows Gnomish or Dwarvish

If Logrim reads the Dethek runes of the scroll, he realizes it is a scroll of fortification – it is designed to create a spontaneous barricade for warriors to seek cover behind. If read as an action (you must be able to read Gnomish or Dwarvish) the scroll creates a 20-ft radius of half-cover (+2 AC, +2 Dex saves) which emerges from the ground as mundane material suiting the environment like stone, earth, or wood. The cover created is permanent until destroyed. Then the scroll crumbles to dust.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Logrim wipes the tears from his cheek and nods to Brydum.

"Thank you."

Logrim thinks on the Arcane Gem Press. If he can find it he just might be able to empower Ludo's psi crystal. It might just fix Ludo without having to rebuild the accumulator. His thoughts are interrupted when Alma asks him to look at a scroll she found. Logrim takes the scroll from Alma and reads over it nodding.

"Miss Alma it looks to be a scroll of fortification. It instantly makes a barricade that can be used during battle."

He takes the other offered items. He sighs to himself wishing for the pearl focus his arcane googles need to identify enchanted items. He then begins to examine Alma's discovery. He is looking for any identifying marks that could be used to extrapolate the items function.

OOC: I want to look over the items and see if I can figure out anything about them without being able to cast identify on them. Arcane check if needed. Arcane check on the magic items: 1d20+5 25

 

[Quickleaf]

Logrim wipes the tears from his cheek and nods to Brydum.

"Thank you."

Logrim thinks on the Arcane Gem Press. If he can find it he just might be able to empower Ludo's psi crystal. It might just fix Ludo without having to rebuild the accumulator. His thoughts are interrupted when Alma asks him to look at a scroll she found. Logrim takes the scroll from Alma and reads over it nodding.

"Miss Alma it looks to be a scroll of fortification. It instantly makes a barricade that can be used during battle."

He takes the other offered items. He sighs to himself wishing for the pearl focus his arcane googles need to identify enchanted items. He then begins to examine Alma's discovery. He is looking for any identifying marks that could be used to extrapolate the items function.

OOC: I want to look over the items and see if I can figure out anything about them without being able to cast identify on them. Arcane check if needed. Arcane check on the magic items: 1d20+5 25

The Silver Chalice – still resting in the statue's hands (as Alma has not removed it) – is engraved with weathered Dethek runes common to dwarves and gnomes: "Dain Dorn Blackaxe unveils Dumathoin’s secrets to whoever is bold enough to sound his horn." In all other respects it appears to be a finely made functioning drinking chalice.

The Silver Moon Pendant has geometric engravings but no discernible words – the engravings almost resemble falling stars, or perhaps something solid and opaque dissolving away. Even dwarven art is subjective. It has a very solid feeling in your palm and it's not from physical density... as if the pendant was almost magnetically drawn to your hand. A quick experiment reveals it is not magnetism, rather a feeling of the pendant settling firmly against physical matter, both living and inanimate.

 

[Aethmud]

Jack flits over to Logrim. "Ludo's a brave companion, and I know how much he means to you. Once we get out of here, I'll help you fix him up." Jack grins as he conjures a spectral hand, takes out a playing card from his his pocket, and begins a brief one-handed game of fetch with his mage hand, catching the card in mid-air with one hand, while placing a comforting hand on Logrim's shoulder. "I don't know much about machines, but I can lend an extra hand! We'll get Ludo back on his paws in no time."

Stashing the playing card back in his pocket, Jack carefully gazes at the silver chalice, examining the Dethek runes with a thoughtful expression, trying to imagine what it says. "This is quite the artifact," he murmurs. He directs his mage hand to lift the chalice, and floats it over toward Angrom. "Angrom, you should take the chalice yourself. It belongs in dwarven hands."

He glances around the group, his eyes flicking between the chalice, the pendant, and the faces of his companions. "This chalice and the pendant are the keys we need to open the temple's backdoor entrance to the Underdark. I mean, at this point, we're just missing the mighty door. I bet it's just around the corner. Maybe now we have the tools we need to get through without setting off any more lovely zombie-raising traps. Let's figure this out before any more uninvited guests show up."

 

[Quickleaf]

Angrom receives the silver chalice from Jack with a solemn nod, but then can't resist the urge to sniff it to see what alcohol might have been used. "Well, I'll need my hands to carry Rurm's litter, Frosty Sprite. I could use one other pair of hands to lift the other end...? Those of us with the litter should stay to the back or middle of the party, I'd say."

Brydum gestures for Angrom to hand him the chalice, taking it with hard look and a heavy sigh. "Alright, I'll take the lead with long ears here," he gestures to Russet who has finished binding his wounds. "Anyone else care to join the vanguard? Or you prefer admiring my armor from behind?"

GM: Let's assume you're taking a 10-minute short rest while discussing, in case Lumrolur or Aric needs to recover. Short Rest house rule: A short rest takes 10 minutes and you can spend a number of Hit Dice = your proficiency bonus to regain hit points. And reset death saves. Russet spends 2 HD to heal: 2D10+6 = [4, 10]+6 = 20 Brydum spends 1 HD to heal: 1D8+2 = [1]+2 = 3 State of the NPCs Brydum 12 / 13 hp (HD ♦︎♢) Angrom 13 hp (HD ♦︎♦︎) carrying litter Rurm 0 hp (unconscious, 2 hours till conscious) (HD ♦︎♦︎) Russet 26 / 31 hp (HD ♢♢♢)

Spoiler: Dwarf Warriors (3)

Brydum hp 13 12 Rurm hp 0 (unconscious), Angrom hp 13; AC 18 (chain mail, shield), speed 25; Str +2, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha +0; advantage save vs. poison / resistance to poison; darkvision 60 ft, passive perception 10; Battleaxe +4 hit, 6 (1d8+2) dmg; Light Crossbow +2 hit, 80/320 ft, 4 (1d8) dmg; Defender (reaction): if a creature attacks the dwarf or a creature within 5 feet of the dwarf while it is wielding a shield, the dwarf can use a reaction to give the attacking creature disadvantage on the attack roll.

Spoiler: Holy Water (1/4)

As an action, you can splash the contents of this flask onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw it up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a ranged attack against a target creature, treating the holy water as an improvised weapon. If the target is a fiend or undead, it takes 2d6 radiant damage.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Aric does his best to help make the fallen dwarf comfortable and pick up Ludo's parts. He takes a breath, and his pain seems to lessen.

OOC: 1 HD used to regain HP: 11hp regained so Aric is at full HP. If I am not mistaken, he only has 3 1st level spells left, no 2nd level spells. He has all his shapechanges.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

"Thank you mister Jack. I would appreciate the help."

Logrim puts on a weak smile and thanks Aric and the others for helping him collect Ludo and store him in his bag. During the process he removes a large purple gem from Ludo and stores it separately in his pack. Once everything is sowed away Logrim stands and moves up with the vanguard.

"I'll stay up with you two mister Brydum."

 

[Neurotic]

Keeping silent in the darkness of the temple, Lumrolur thinks about the wall. It makes no sense that there is nothing at the end of the tunnel that isn't a mineshaft. Well, at least there is little sense.

He checks the walls around him for illusion, but leaves the suspect relief alone for the moment.

After he is satisfied that there is no other hidden walls, he proceeds with the relief.

He takes a pebble from the floor and after ensuring he is alone, chucks it lightly into the wall expecting it to pass through. He listens intently for any reaction from the other side, ready to move back, but hoping he won't have to.

Spoiler: Actions

From about 15' away, throw a little something (bug ideally, but they don't fly well when thrown ) just so it passes the wall, not throwing strongly enough to hit something behind the wall.

It is close to the floor and slow.

OOC: Why do we wait for the dwarf to get up? We wait until the rest of them get him back up and then return with him either healed or left to the healers and we go on. Having a dying ally with us on the combat front when we have perfectly functional support behind us is dangerous for him and the group.