Flaming Bob
First Post
Looking around, using darkvision (5 squares) if needed.
Edit: Perception roll corrected.
Edit: Perception roll corrected.
Legacy of Death Part I: Most Infamous Danger
- Thread starter TerraDave
- Start date
dyermaker001
Explorer
Nar-Heru will follow, staying on the path. "A loop of magical metal might be a ring of some sort. It also said 2 of the pits would be fortuitous. I wonder if the ring or a key of some sort might be in the one we didn't trigger." The end of his staff still glows with a magical flame.
Can we determine why the other three who stepped through the portal faded from sight? Is it a light thing or did they pass beyond our vision or was it something magical seeming - like a vestige of the mist? (Dungeoneeing)
Buckthorn will also listen (perception) for any sound of trouble - a screaming tiefling or a yelling dwarf, for example.
If he can't discern anything out of the ordinary with a few seconds investigation, Buckthorn will turn to the remaining party members: "I wiill step through the archway. Our friends could be in trouble." If you prefer, stay here. I will try to yell if there is trouble. No doubt of that."
Buckthorn will also listen (perception) for any sound of trouble - a screaming tiefling or a yelling dwarf, for example.
If he can't discern anything out of the ordinary with a few seconds investigation, Buckthorn will turn to the remaining party members: "I wiill step through the archway. Our friends could be in trouble." If you prefer, stay here. I will try to yell if there is trouble. No doubt of that."
Last edited:
Off the Beaten Path
Ghen will follow Buckthorn to go after our friends. They'll make regular perception checks (+14) an alert people if he spots danger or anything unusual. If it becomes needed, they can pop off a Healing Word with 2d6+7 added.
<This is a bad couple of weeks. I don't really have time for DnD between now and Saturday - Ghen will follow Buckthorn's lead for his cyber-dungeon-delving until then.>
Ghen will follow Buckthorn to go after our friends. They'll make regular perception checks (+14) an alert people if he spots danger or anything unusual. If it becomes needed, they can pop off a Healing Word with 2d6+7 added.
<This is a bad couple of weeks. I don't really have time for DnD between now and Saturday - Ghen will follow Buckthorn's lead for his cyber-dungeon-delving until then.>
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Malachia: "Ya, lets walk right in there! I will be right behind you."
Buckthorn and Ghen: They walked into the small room on the path and vanished. No screams or anything like that.
You eventually follow. You find yourselves in a smallish room were you immediately see what appears to be a broken, 8' tall statue of a 4-armed gargoyle (see attached), with a broken off 4th arm on the floor nearby. A 5*5crawlspace appears to be the only exit. The other three seem to be examing the crawlspace.
Malachia does not seem to follow. You see no way to go back to the path or the mosaic hall directly from here.
Buckthorn: Just looking at it, there is something about that gargoyles hands...
Buckthorn and Ghen: They walked into the small room on the path and vanished. No screams or anything like that.
You eventually follow. You find yourselves in a smallish room were you immediately see what appears to be a broken, 8' tall statue of a 4-armed gargoyle (see attached), with a broken off 4th arm on the floor nearby. A 5*5crawlspace appears to be the only exit. The other three seem to be examing the crawlspace.
Malachia does not seem to follow. You see no way to go back to the path or the mosaic hall directly from here.
Buckthorn: Just looking at it, there is something about that gargoyles hands...
Attachments
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
They study the gargoyle some more, and realize that is has small indentations in its 3 hands, that something like a gem could fit in it. When Forge puts the pearls into the hands, not much happens.
They go ahead, and find a great, long hall, with many creatures holding many spheres. They realize that one sphere covers the crawl space that the just came out of. On the east side of the hall, two other crawl spaces are concealed, as is a hidden door that just does not seem openable (sic) from this side. That door is concealed by a sphere held at the feet of a four armed gargoyle.
On the west side of the hall, three doors are concealed. Two release a magic spear when opened. Lucian, after being hit by one spear, manages to keep the second from firing. Only wall is behind the door. The third door conceals a scroll. Nar-Heru inspects the scroll and takes another look at the book, where he finds the key reference. The elf thinks he can use the scroll to return to the circle of magic stones by the stream where the vines attacked. It is the only way out of the tomb known by the party.
Before opening those doors, the party takes a winding crawlspace to a strange chapel. Symbols of good exists beside images of death. Ghen touches a glowing blue altar, setting off a lighting bolt. Nar-Heru opens a pew, that releases poisoned gas. Then he comes up with what will be the main “trick” of the party: having a mage hand open and touch everything. With this, they find much gold and silver in the other pews.
Forge also finds a small slot with a circle inscribed above it. From a clue found on the winding path in the entrance, they believe a ring should be placed in the slot. They don’t have one.
The odd chapel also has an arch filled with orange mists. The great long hall ends with an arch of pale mists, but whose stones seem off color. The elf believes the orange one is cursed, the thief that the one with the stones is.
They take the other crawlspace, to a room with 3 chests. They are quite careful. They are hit by many magical darts, and grab a ring from that chest. They return, though the treasure is theirs, where Nar-Heru is poisoned by snakes from one chest and then opens another as he shoots at them. A giant skeleton emerges and slices Forge and Lucian. Buckthorn shoots the snakes, the warriors finish off the skeleton, and Ghen keeps them all alive. Ghen also finds a sort of stone plug in the floor that they cannot open.
The ring, when placed in the slot, opens a wedge of wall that leads to another tunnel. They proceed carefully. They open a door, just beyond the door, they find a pit. Open, inspect—inspired by the clue in the path in the first great hall—jump over. There is another door. Lucian sets off this pit, but jumps clear. Nar-Heru falls in it, the rest get over. Open a door (the last of the 3), find a pit, inspect pit, find concealed door at bottom of pit that leads to another tunnel. (they could have also continued in the tunnel with the pit, but did not).
Lucian leads the way, comes to a stair, and searches. Its almost inexplicable that he searches here, but he does. He finds a secret door. Its warded by some kind of magic, and they can’t open it. That’s the 3rd way they find that doesn’t open.
They continue, into a hall filled with gas. Fear gas. Forge and Ghen alternate panicking and running with opening a door. They get it open. Then the real fear starts.
After blasting some webs with magic fire, they enter the heart of the tomb. The lich lies on a golden couch. They marvel at reaching this spot. There is no question they were on a roll.
It ends. The lich identifies itself as Acererak and calls forth a deadly zone of shadow, and they start to run. Though Lucian is able to grab a gold and silver mace (the famous mace of disruption, a fact that remains unknown to the party) and Buckthorn shoots the lich before they flee. The lich follows, unleashing lighting and fear on the way. Only “mother” is able to delay him long enough to allow the party to escape.
They decide to camp in the great hall of spheres. In the night (or whenever it is), while Lucian is on watch, there is a strange summoning. And the tiefling may have even realized it as such. From the Maelstrom, two great elementals are called. They are also foiled. The party invokes resistance to fire and putts the living wave into a magical slumber. The last is a true miracle, as Nar-Heru had not actually prepared the sleep spell. Perhaps Pathar placed it in his head.
They go ahead, and find a great, long hall, with many creatures holding many spheres. They realize that one sphere covers the crawl space that the just came out of. On the east side of the hall, two other crawl spaces are concealed, as is a hidden door that just does not seem openable (sic) from this side. That door is concealed by a sphere held at the feet of a four armed gargoyle.
On the west side of the hall, three doors are concealed. Two release a magic spear when opened. Lucian, after being hit by one spear, manages to keep the second from firing. Only wall is behind the door. The third door conceals a scroll. Nar-Heru inspects the scroll and takes another look at the book, where he finds the key reference. The elf thinks he can use the scroll to return to the circle of magic stones by the stream where the vines attacked. It is the only way out of the tomb known by the party.
Before opening those doors, the party takes a winding crawlspace to a strange chapel. Symbols of good exists beside images of death. Ghen touches a glowing blue altar, setting off a lighting bolt. Nar-Heru opens a pew, that releases poisoned gas. Then he comes up with what will be the main “trick” of the party: having a mage hand open and touch everything. With this, they find much gold and silver in the other pews.
Forge also finds a small slot with a circle inscribed above it. From a clue found on the winding path in the entrance, they believe a ring should be placed in the slot. They don’t have one.
The odd chapel also has an arch filled with orange mists. The great long hall ends with an arch of pale mists, but whose stones seem off color. The elf believes the orange one is cursed, the thief that the one with the stones is.
They take the other crawlspace, to a room with 3 chests. They are quite careful. They are hit by many magical darts, and grab a ring from that chest. They return, though the treasure is theirs, where Nar-Heru is poisoned by snakes from one chest and then opens another as he shoots at them. A giant skeleton emerges and slices Forge and Lucian. Buckthorn shoots the snakes, the warriors finish off the skeleton, and Ghen keeps them all alive. Ghen also finds a sort of stone plug in the floor that they cannot open.
The ring, when placed in the slot, opens a wedge of wall that leads to another tunnel. They proceed carefully. They open a door, just beyond the door, they find a pit. Open, inspect—inspired by the clue in the path in the first great hall—jump over. There is another door. Lucian sets off this pit, but jumps clear. Nar-Heru falls in it, the rest get over. Open a door (the last of the 3), find a pit, inspect pit, find concealed door at bottom of pit that leads to another tunnel. (they could have also continued in the tunnel with the pit, but did not).
Lucian leads the way, comes to a stair, and searches. Its almost inexplicable that he searches here, but he does. He finds a secret door. Its warded by some kind of magic, and they can’t open it. That’s the 3rd way they find that doesn’t open.
They continue, into a hall filled with gas. Fear gas. Forge and Ghen alternate panicking and running with opening a door. They get it open. Then the real fear starts.
After blasting some webs with magic fire, they enter the heart of the tomb. The lich lies on a golden couch. They marvel at reaching this spot. There is no question they were on a roll.
It ends. The lich identifies itself as Acererak and calls forth a deadly zone of shadow, and they start to run. Though Lucian is able to grab a gold and silver mace (the famous mace of disruption, a fact that remains unknown to the party) and Buckthorn shoots the lich before they flee. The lich follows, unleashing lighting and fear on the way. Only “mother” is able to delay him long enough to allow the party to escape.
They decide to camp in the great hall of spheres. In the night (or whenever it is), while Lucian is on watch, there is a strange summoning. And the tiefling may have even realized it as such. From the Maelstrom, two great elementals are called. They are also foiled. The party invokes resistance to fire and putts the living wave into a magical slumber. The last is a true miracle, as Nar-Heru had not actually prepared the sleep spell. Perhaps Pathar placed it in his head.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
More from that book
This includes the previous quotes, new ones are below. Again, black splotches cover some parts of the text, and much is surrounded by, yes, arcana.
….
“Perhaps the most famous tomb outside of the ruins of Ta’Khem, in the Shadow Coast!...Built even as the dwarves still ruled, a testament to the degree of their decadence—or perhaps the untamable nature of those lands—and the deadly foresight of its creator. For of course the region would become a wilderness that would rival the Blight and perhaps be even less accessible.”
“Five centuries ago, a philosopher turned malicious sorcerer king in the waning days of Illumaria’s might [a reference to the last great empire]. His real name was carefully removed from all records and shielded from practically all divination. This acolyte of Vecna, just as that other lich’s cult was rising, would seek his own path to undeath that would rival his master. He is known to us as Acererak.”
“We took the old North Road. In bad repair, but passable. After about 15 days (it would have been less had we approached this with more focus), we came to the statue, or part of a statue, of a great dwarven head. My own notes seemed to indicate that this was key clue, and with much searching we found the trail, barely a path, east.”
“The signs of the old dwarven settlements are found here and there. We made the mistake of exploring some. Too much time taken, and the first lives lost….”
“Trust nothing here! The savagery was too great for the Old Kingdom of the dwarves, and is to great now. Also, beware the elves. One snow clan was helpful, but others had degenerated badly [unreadable]”
“We climbed high into hills, and then, barely visible through the mists, was the face! But first, into a swampy valley did we have to travel. There was an opening to some old settlement nearby. This we avoided.”
“The entrance to the place is well concealed, and takes digging! In any case, its in the middle of the hill, or should I say below the middle of the ‘face’”
“From the entrance on, the duplicity and trickery here is astounding! One deadly choice and trick after another. I will attempt to take careful notes of what I find.”
New entries begin here
"There is no end of the distraction and confusion, hiding what are sometimes the simplest clues. Acererak delights in presenting a picture drawn from his strange and terrible lore to divert from the most banal twist or turn."
"The Tomb is certainly small compared to great dungeons and ruins, yet it feels vast, with many strange links and no end of trickery and death. And the clues, and even the needed items are here, but knowing them and finding them is something else."
"I wondered, and its clear that the deep magic of this place allows it to gradually restore itself to a condition very much designed by the ancient lich."
"Disaster has struck. A sudden melt of snow flooded our swampy campsite, many notes have been lost."
"...gargolyes, clever..."
"Ahh, of course! The ultimate trick! Trust nothing here, even your greatest victory!"
"even...powerfull planar summoning..."
This includes the previous quotes, new ones are below. Again, black splotches cover some parts of the text, and much is surrounded by, yes, arcana.
….
“Perhaps the most famous tomb outside of the ruins of Ta’Khem, in the Shadow Coast!...Built even as the dwarves still ruled, a testament to the degree of their decadence—or perhaps the untamable nature of those lands—and the deadly foresight of its creator. For of course the region would become a wilderness that would rival the Blight and perhaps be even less accessible.”
“Five centuries ago, a philosopher turned malicious sorcerer king in the waning days of Illumaria’s might [a reference to the last great empire]. His real name was carefully removed from all records and shielded from practically all divination. This acolyte of Vecna, just as that other lich’s cult was rising, would seek his own path to undeath that would rival his master. He is known to us as Acererak.”
“We took the old North Road. In bad repair, but passable. After about 15 days (it would have been less had we approached this with more focus), we came to the statue, or part of a statue, of a great dwarven head. My own notes seemed to indicate that this was key clue, and with much searching we found the trail, barely a path, east.”
“The signs of the old dwarven settlements are found here and there. We made the mistake of exploring some. Too much time taken, and the first lives lost….”
“Trust nothing here! The savagery was too great for the Old Kingdom of the dwarves, and is to great now. Also, beware the elves. One snow clan was helpful, but others had degenerated badly [unreadable]”
“We climbed high into hills, and then, barely visible through the mists, was the face! But first, into a swampy valley did we have to travel. There was an opening to some old settlement nearby. This we avoided.”
“The entrance to the place is well concealed, and takes digging! In any case, its in the middle of the hill, or should I say below the middle of the ‘face’”
“From the entrance on, the duplicity and trickery here is astounding! One deadly choice and trick after another. I will attempt to take careful notes of what I find.”
New entries begin here
"There is no end of the distraction and confusion, hiding what are sometimes the simplest clues. Acererak delights in presenting a picture drawn from his strange and terrible lore to divert from the most banal twist or turn."
"The Tomb is certainly small compared to great dungeons and ruins, yet it feels vast, with many strange links and no end of trickery and death. And the clues, and even the needed items are here, but knowing them and finding them is something else."
"I wondered, and its clear that the deep magic of this place allows it to gradually restore itself to a condition very much designed by the ancient lich."
"Disaster has struck. A sudden melt of snow flooded our swampy campsite, many notes have been lost."
"...gargolyes, clever..."
"Ahh, of course! The ultimate trick! Trust nothing here, even your greatest victory!"
"even...powerfull planar summoning..."
dyermaker001
Explorer
Nar-Heru: "I think before we challenge him again, we should see about solving some of the other mysteries here. I would like to find what goes in the gargoyle's hands."
