Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (IC): Thread 2

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

Round 4 (cont.)
Rather than fight the wind, Redithidoor starts to crawl back to the lodge. His shocked expression from the sudden storm only intensifies when he finds himself suddenly outside the zone of wind.

Round 5
Jaroo, however does fight it, rising to his feet. Clearly impeded by the flying dirt, and unable to move against the wind, he instead starts moving back to the path towards the grove.

(( Grigor’s up. ))

(( Map#4 ))

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor is too busy to get his gear sorted out and his bow into a firing position to appreciate all the arcane shenanigans going on.

Finally he manages to nock an arrow and aim.

"All right, let's see if I can slow him down a bit..."

And off he sends his arrow, meaning to his the (false?) druid's legs.

Spoiler

Show

Shoot the druid: (1d20+4)[12], for (1d6+2)[3] dmg.

[Skjaldbakka]

Tell takes a moment to catch his breath after being knocked to the ground, only for the windstorm to end a moment later. He clambers back to his feet as Megiddo's psychic assault leaves Jaroo reeling. Seeing Jaroo still standing, he casts a spell and a ball of flames appears next to Jaroo, which attempts to strike him.

OOC:
Tell delays action until after Megiddo acts. Megiddo manifests concussion blast for (3d6)[13] non-lethal damage, and moves 30 ft towards Jaroo. Tell stands and casts a Flaming Sphere, which deals (2d6)[9] fire damage (DC 14 Reflex negates).

Since he is no longer concentrating on the spell, the windstorm ends.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

Round 5
Grigor’s arrow is knocked off path by the wind, unable to fly in such a blast.

Megiddo stops concentrating on the air and manifests another power. Jaroo stumbles as he braces against the suddenly nonexistent wind. Less than half a moment later he is knocked off his feet by Megiddo’s telekinetic assault. The druid does not move after that.

(( Still gonna use that flaming sphere? ))

[Skjaldbakka]

Um... let's go with no.

Tell will move to pick up Jaroo and bring him back into the cottage.

Megiddo will pull out a wand of detect magic and begin looking for active spell effects, magic items, etc on the unconscious folk and the cottage.

"Secure these people while I examine the area. Be particularly careful with the one claiming to be Jaroo."

OOC: If the spell effect that occurred earlier was a 4th level spell or equivalent, there will still be a lingering aura I can examine. Megiddo is particularly looking for that first with the detect magic.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor is slightly annoyed as his arrow is unceremoniously swatted aside by the wind. On the other hand, the spell does stop 'Jaroo' and hey, arrow makers have to eat too.

"Well goody, all subdues and under control. So what is the deal with this 'Jaroo' guy then? Anyone care to tell me?"

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

“Yes, and tell us why you just attacked him, too!” Redithidoor adds to Grigor’s query.

The lodge is full of magic:

• On Jaroo and his gear: Modrate transmutation (whole body), faint enchantment (something in his belt pouch), faint evocation (quarterstaff)
• Blonde swordsman: Faint illusion (whole body), faint abjuration (clothes), faint conjuration (two of them inside belt pouch), faint evocation (inside belt pouch), faint illusion (inside belt pouch).
• On short Spellcaster: Faint illusion (whole body), faint abjuration (cloak pin), faint abjuration (ring)
• A small box on a table: Faint transmutation

That is not counting the magic already carried by our protagonists.

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo largely ignores the comment, as he studies the auras on the unconscious people before him. Detecting the illusion magic on some of them, he focuses his mind, trying to will away the glamour and see the truth of the matter.

"Interesting. Jaroo seems to be under the effect of a transmutation spell of some potency. This leds some credence to the idea that he may be an imposter. Correct me if I am wrong, Tell, but this Jaroo seemed a bit less capable than one would expect from a Druid. I detected no use of magic on his part, for example. He also chose to flee rather than defend his territory, and I recall you mentioning something about the trees not being well tended last time we were here."

OOC: If you could reply as Tell, it would lend some credence to the conversation, otherwise I'll make something up myself. Actively attempting to disbelieve the illusions on the two fallen folks.
(1d20+8)[27]

Also, elven auto-search for secret doors: (1d20+6)[23]
Taking 20 in the corner where it was mentioned that the corner of the rug was turned up (which to me suggested a hidden trap door that had been recently used and quickly covered). :26:

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor listens to Megiddo's explanation and nods.

"That makes sense. So we tie them up and wait until the illusion wears off? Works for me. Anyone any good with ropes?" he asks as he stows his bow again.

Then he starts to check on the k.o.ed strangers. After all, they can't answer questions if they bleed to death.

Spoiler

Show

Grigor stabilizes people where neccessary, with a +10 thanks to Healer's kit.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

Tell concurs with Megiddo, “Yeah. None of this fits. Sick trees. Missing apprentices. Even like you said: He doesn’t even fight like a druid of the Old Faith.”

After concentrating on their forms for awhile, Megiddo realizes that the illusion was some sort of disguise spell on both of Jaroo’s visitors.

The blond swordsman is actually raven-haired, the hair flowing past his shoulders. He is far more muscular than he originally appeared, and it turns out that he is wearing a chain shirt.

The spellcaster is nearly a foot and a half taller than he originally appeared. His features are sharp and pointy. His bushy eyebrows at first make it seem like this is the man Todariche said he met, but his goatee is more neatly trimmed than described. Under his black robe is a shiny breastplate.

As Grigor examines them, eventually, even he sees through the illusions. However, none of them are hurt badly enough to be in any immediate danger. (( That is, they all have positive hit points, but excess nonlethal damage; no stabilization required. ))

Lifting the rug, Megiddo does find a trapdoor in the floor.

[Skjaldbakka]

Tell will search the unconscious folk for incriminating stuff: documents, holy symbols, ritual components, etc. He will also remove items as Megiddo points them out (anything that detects as magical, as well as any obvious weapons or armor.

Once that is done, he takes the rope and looks like he is trying to figure out a way to tie them up, and then gives up. "I'm not good with knots, anything I tie they're sure to escape from once they regain consciousness."

Megiddo will open the trap door to see where it goes, but not venture in.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Since Grigor isn't any good with ropes either (seriously, who can afford to learn that?!) he suggests "I say we drop them off with the militia. Let them lock 'em up. We charge them with being suspected of murdering the old druid or something."

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

“Might have a bit of a problem telling them the druid murdered himself, I think,” Redithidoor wryly observes.

The smell of moist soil and rot comes from the trapdoor as Megiddo opens it. Underneath are stairs leading to a small cellar. He can’t see the whole thing, but it sounds like something is moving around down there (( Listen: 1d20+2=17 )).

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo will walk down the stairs until he can't see any further with low-light vision, then cast a light spell on the wall at that point.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

"It would be good to have a body to prove our claims though."

As Megiddo starts to walk down the stairs, Grigor asks "Want me to come along or should I guard the prisoners?"

[Skjaldbakka]

He doesn't reply but makes a beckoning gesture as he descends into the basement.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor follows Megiddo down the stairs into the cellar. He wonders if they will find corpses down here.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

The cellar is small and cramped, with a ceiling low enough that Megiddo and Grigor need to hunch over to avoid scraping their heads. As soon as Megiddo reaches the bottom of the stairs, he hears a loud growl to his left, from behind a curtain presumably concealing a recess in the dirt wall.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor hears the animal noises and wonders "If they really killed the druid, then this is probably not his companion animal... I wonder what we find here."

(Too bad. Druids know how to calm animals. I would hope we don't have to fight some frightened beast. With some luck it is locked up.)

Grigor decides to put the hand on the grip of his sword anyway.

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo will (after casting the light spell), pull back the curtain. He doesn't seem to be at all concerned about the impending claws and teeth of whatever is behind the curtain.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

As Megiddo nears the curtain, the stench of rot grows stronger and more offensive and the growls increase in volume. Megiddo pulls the curtain away, and the thing behind it lunges.

But it never reaches the cerebremancer. It is held back, tied to a stake firmly planted at the back of the alcove. As to what It is: it may have once been human, but the gangrenous open wounds on the side of its face and the partially caved-in skull attest to the fact that it is not so any more. Underneath the bruising, rot, and gore, though, there is something familiar about the creature.

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo takes a moment to study its appearance, and mentally compare it with people he has met in the area.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor peers past Megiddo and what he sees makes his expression turn grim.

"Seems like we found our druid corpse after all. And a nice way to keep him from being resurrected too. let me handle this." he says as he pulls his bastard sword into a two-handed grip, his intention pretty obvious.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

(( Actually, it is someone quite a bit younger… ))

After peering at the creature for a moment, he recognizes it as the young man tending the grove that he and Megiddo met a week ago. The apprentice Yundi.

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo steps outside of gore splatter range.

"This is not Jaroo. I believe this is his apprentice. I don't recall his name."

--

"Yundi. His name was Yundi. This will not go unpunished." Tell says, having come down the steps after hearing the commotion.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

"Yundi. Very well. he may be dead but he shall not go unavenged. About this thing... Oh yes, I am so going to enjoy this."

Grigor finally draws his word and sets about to dispatch the animated corpse very, very thoroughly.

[Skjaldbakka]

Tell will storm up the steps, grab "Jaroo" by the shirt, and shake him until he wakes up.

"What did you do!? Who are you working for?! Tell me or I swear by Vathris' black spear* I will beat it out of you!"

*tried to research something angry sounding to swear by. Vathris is a greyhawk revenge diety. best I could come up with

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

Grigor effortlessly cuts down the beast-that-used-to-be-Yundi.

Afterwards, a more careful examination of the cellar reveals several trunks lined up against the wall opposite the alcove.

Up above, Ranelath approaches Tell as he is shaking the still-unconcious Jaroo. “Heh, what’s upset you so, and what does he have to do with it?”

[Skjaldbakka]

Megiddo will take a look at the trunks, do they seem to be locked or obviously trapped? Megiddo will take 20 to search one, which will find any trap it doesn't require trapfinding. If he doesn't find a trap, he will open the trunk and see what is inside it.

--meanwhile--

Tell glares up at Ranelath. "Why don't you go downstairs and see what is left of poor Yundi. Jaroo's - the REAL Jaroo's - apprentice"

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Jaroo’s Lodge: Planting 10, Mid-afternoon

The trunks are locked, but not obviously trapped.

[hr]

“What do you mean?” Redithidoor asks Tell.

Ranelath, however, takes up Tell’s challenge and descends to the cellar.