THE HEROES OF DYVERS CHAPTER 7: CLARE'S ERRAND

[Diarmadhim]

Dewydd Moresby

After taking a deep breath of air, my weapon vanishes and I calmly state, "sorry for interrupting your work. Please continue gentlemen," as I casually gesture at the room.

 

[Sylvar B.]

Sylvar falls to his knees as he waits for the nausea to wear off. He shakes his head in an attempt to clear his vision. As he recovers his faculties he stands on shaky legs still regaining their strength.

"Well, let's not do that again."

 

[Damionte]

Duncan & Company:

With a coordinated clanking of heavy armor the Company comes jogging into the room weapons drawn and ready to fight. Seeing the current state of things they visibly relax. The twins and Ebony all look a bit disappointed, while Duncan just seems relieved.

Duncan: "See as I predicted, they needed not our help."
Ebony moved over to examine the remains of the creature before addressing Sir Dewydd. "Ohhhh what was that thing?"

 

[Diarmadhim]

Dewydd Moresby

Turning to Ebony I reply, "It's called a roper. I've only read about them before. I'm glad you all showed up when you did. If Respen hadn't gotten the tentacle off of me, we might have been in some real trouble... I couldn't break myself free." After admitting that fact I nod my thanks to Respen.

 

[Waynan]

"Dewydd, Respen, thank you for saving our bacon." Tam says gratefully as he gets his wits about him. He then looks to see how Thallok is doing, since he seemed to get the worst of it.
"Hey, Red. You good?"
Lastly, he kicks at the Roper corpse, (OOC: If he should see anything sparkly or shiny, Tam dives in to retrieve what treasures he may find), and gives a grunt of disgust at the thing.

 

[Aust Thale]

Respen:
Respen acknowledges Tam, "Thank Dewydd. He's like having our own giant. " He nods back at Dewydd, appreciative of the truth that sometimes lucky is better than good. Having grown still and quiet, post-battle, he looks about the room with his magically-attuned eyes.
"Let's find the key or what we need to find the key, and be about this place."
He moves about the room carefully, looking for other traps as well as runes or obvious clues to the key.
"Tam, dig into the creature's belly. See if there is anything inside worth taking."
"Duncan, could you have the twins flank us with their firebreath. If we stumble into another one of these things, I'd like them to take a go at it. Ropers are vulnerable to fire. I'd prefer if Dewydd not be too bruised when we reach the real battle."

 

[Waynan]

Respen acknowledges Tam ... "Tam, dig into the creature's belly. See if there is anything inside worth taking."

That's all the encouragement Tam needed to nearly dive full in, and with a will, on the bowels of the Roper.

Spoiler: Search and Spot Checks

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 26

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 14

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 27

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 23

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 29

Waynan7 rolls d20+12 = 21

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Tam finds the skin of the Roper extremely difficult to cut. Instead of clean slices, Tam is forced to use a sawing motion to complete the task of gutting the creature; it is exhausting work, requiring several (4) minutes to complete.

GM: 4 minutes = 40 rounds (6 seconds each round, 10 rounds = 1 minute.)

However, it proves to be a worthwhile endeavor; in the Roper's stomach, Tam discovers a golden key, which must be the object of this test, along with a black, runic dagger, which is still clutched in a skeletal hand. The dagger looks to be made of a strange, shiny, black metal, and is covered with red, faintly glowing runes. It looks quite magical. The skeletal hand that is clutching it is delicate-looking, obviously the hand (and partial forearm) of an Elf.

Going back to the black obelisk, in an attempt to cover all his bases, Tam finds that the smooth appearance of the obelisk is actually an illusion. Although Tam cannot dispel the illusion, he is able to search by touch, and pulls 4 more keys off the obelisk, which have a similar (yet, not identical) appearance to the key that he retrieved from the Roper. These keys are also made of gold, and glow a bright, greenish color.

Val speaks up, laughing in the Common tongue, "Good job, runt. I'd lay crowns to crumpets that the four keys from the black obelisk are fakes. But hey, what do I know? I'm only an ancient, sentient axe possessed by the spirit of the greatest Dwarven priest to ever live."

EVERYONE: What do you do?

 

[Tellerian Hawke]

Spoiler: DM Housekeeping

Buffs from the axe, affecting whole party:

+2 Artifact Bonus (stacks with everything) to saves vs. Fear

Buffs from Khubsheth:
(Affecting: Dewydd, Sylvar, Respen, Vale, Kleborn, and Thallok):

Geas for the duration of the adventure.

+5 bonus to all saves (Guardian Bonus, stacks with everything) for the duration of the adventure.

Within 10 Feet Of Duncan: (Morale Bonus)

+4 Saves vs Fear (Does NOT stack with Sylvar's Greater Heroism.)

DURATIONS: (Original duration) [Current count against duration, in rounds]
Fly: Less than 12 mins (117 rounds) [-110]
Armor: 24 hours (14,400 rounds) [-110]
Shield: Less than 24 minutes (237 rounds) [-110]
Alter Self: Less than 120 minutes (1197 rounds) [-110]
Dragonskin: Less than 120 minutes (1197 rounds) [-110]
Prot. vs. Evil: Less than 24 minutes (237 rounds) [-110]
Blur: Less than 12 mins (117 rounds) [-109]

 

[Waynan]

Tam, not one to back down in a verbal game of Tit for Tat, jabs:
"Alright, you over glorified hunk of tin; yes, you're probably right about the keys, but I, too, already guessed that --- which, is why the 'presumed' legitimate key is going in my tools pouch while these others are going in my coins pouch." Tam puts the keys in their designated pouches as he's saying this, then adds: If you toned down your hubris several notches, you might see that most of us here can come up with the same logical and intelligent conclusions as you."
He then gives a disarming, if mischievous, smile with this last.
Tam then gives the strangely made and glowingly engraved dagger a closer inspection.