Eyes of the Lich Queen IC

[TekHed]

Shard rushes to aid the Dwarf...

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Melee touch:

(1d20+8)[20]
Grapple: (1d20+8)[16] either he will succeed and get another +2 from Grimmgang for aid another or he will not succeed in which case Shard's +2 won't make a difference...

Damage: (1d3+4)[7]

[TheFallenOne]

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this is both embarassing and hilarious

Grimmgang stepped back, clearly frustrated, nostrils flaring. "Tell it I'm not trying to kill it, but we can't let it fly around freely, so its either unconsciousness or ropes. I suppose we can let it go later, killing a surrendering enemy is not the soldiers way. Bot only after our buisness here is done."

edit
disregard this if Shards ninja puts the dragon out

[Sallera]

Ignoring the dragon's protests, Shard manages to knock its head solidly against the floor, and it lapses into what is likely a welcome silence.

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Opposed grapple: (1d20+4)[13]

[TheFallenOne]

"Thanks, that was starting to get embarassing", Grimmgang said silently without looking directly at Shard.
"Now, onto some more... gleaming buisness", he continued more enthusiastically, rapidly moving to the pile of precious metals and examining it closely, uncaring of the wounds on his body.

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[roll?Appraise]1d20+3[/roll] +2 metal

[TekHed]

"Perhaps we ought to tie it up before moving on in our search. We mustn't forget the reason we have come here to enact such violence. Also, Mr. Grimmgang, you are burned and bleeding...we must all receive curative attention..."

Shard removes it's crystaline wand from the groove in it's forearm.

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How many Lesser Vigor charges does everyone need?

[TheFallenOne]

"Get on with the magic then, I'm not stopping you. And the dragon can wait a few minutes. For now I want to know how much treasure these two bastards left us."

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also looking for the spear the lizardmen described

[Sallera]

Even working with the enthusiastic efficiency common only to accountants and dwarves, it takes Grimmgang several minutes to sort and tally the contents of the pile. Most of the horde turns out to be copper, but the piles of gold and silver are more than respectable; it seems the dragons have been collecting tribute for quite some time. A few pieces of mundane but finely crafted armour and weaponry are half-buried in the pile, and Daiya's magical senses pick out an otherwise unremarkable oak twig as a wand of some sort. The most visually impressive piece, however, is a bastard sword in a sheath of crimson, bearing a black hilt of wrapped leather over iron and a pommel of silver that appears almost molten. When unsheathed, it sheds an indigo radiance, and motes of liquid light seem to be continually drawn from the air into the slightly tapered blade. Anyone setting a hand on it somehow immediately knows that it contains a spell by the name of Spirit Worm.

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Well, with an Appraise roll like that, you have no trouble tallying up your loot. Getting it out of here might take a little longer, though, as the totals are a bit heavy:
~20000cp
5770sp
923gp
Masterwork longsword, greataxe, dagger, banded mail, and breastplate
The necklace you nicked earlier
A wand
A rather artistic +1 bastard sword of Spell Storing (containing a Spirit Worm spell at the moment)

Also, I was going to save exp for when you finished the first part, but this seems like a fairly good place for it. I don't think it'll be a problem for the last bit of this section, and after those dragons, I've got to give you something.
5751 to Daiya, 5501 to the rest of you, so you can all level. (I'm still giving Daiya the exp from the encounters prior to her death, because we don't need her falling further behind than death deserves.)

Edit: Oh, and yes, I suppose that spear would be down here as well. (It was upstairs before, but that was the point where you had to run away.)

[MoleMage]

"Spirit Worm." Daiya muses, examining the magical items as best she is able, but drawn somewhat more to the oversized sword, a classic favorite of mercenaries for its versatility...and her chosen weapon for melee combat.

"I do not know this spell. But the sword is clearly powerful. Once we get back to town we must have it appraised to ensure it is not dangerous." With that, she tucks it neatly back into Grimmgang's sorted arrangement.

"We also will want to be careful with how we manage our money. Drawing undue attention won't do us any favors. Trunk...you can speak to the creature. Do you believe it will make good on its offer?"

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Never bored. Often caught off-guard, but the dragons were always a threat to our lives. Good combat should run that way. The characters have to get by on grit. Incidentally, I'm burned of my second level spells, lost third level because of my deleveling (which...I might have regained with the experience I just got), and am about halfway through first level spells. I could use a rest.

[TheFallenOne]

Never heard of that spell, but looks like you might have a new sword." He gave them the total of the hoard, then sat down with his back against the huge dragon skeleton, visibly relaxed.
"I guess we all need some rest; we should move our camp down here. With those stone doors this place is close to impregnable, certainly better than a big tree. We should also make another patrol of the temple just to be sure. And maybe you could make another flight to Adderport, Trunk? Get some of our bulkier stuff liquified, identify the things we can use and come back with fresh equipment. After those dragons I'll never go out again without tanglefoot bags and bolas. That would give the rest of us plenty of time for a more thorough search of the temple."

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bastardsword of spellstoring, that's pretty much ideal for Daiya. Put a Shocking Grasp in there and you can deal some serious hurt

[TekHed]

"and we ought to check up on our prisoner, while we're at it." Shard offered. "Perhaps we can turn it over with the Dragon to the good Lizardfolk we first came across..."

[TheFallenOne]

"That sounds reasonable. I doubt they'll show mercy to their tormentors, but it's better than just killing them." Grimmgang took out some ropes to bind the dragon, only to notice he was quite unsure how to go about it. In the end he used both his remaining ropes, one to lock his jaws, the other to bind foreclaws and wings close to the creatures body.

"Someone should stay here while the others bring our stuff, I don't trust this to keep the dragon in place."

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Use rope mouth - (1d20+5)[13]
Use rope wings and claws - (1d20+5)[22]

[TekHed]

"Perhaps that someone should be yourself or Daiya." Shard replied. "I fear that should it break loose I will be defenseless against it's winged assault. Yourself or Daiya should keep watch. Trunk and I will make our way to the previous camp site and retrieve what is there, including the lizardfolk. The next question is whether Trunk should first fly back into Stormreach to trade our winnings or if he should instead approach the Cold Sun Tribe about our prisoners of war. He is after all, a figure that they will trust, not to mention being the only one who speaks their native tongue."

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What do you guys think? Fury will be gone for another 10 days or so. I was hoping to roleplay a bit between Trunk and Shard on the way back to the campsite. Since we leveled should we trade in our coins and goods for more level appropriate gear before we go looking for Sur'kill's relics? Or should we save that for after the full phase of the adventure? We should probably deal with our captives before heading out...don't want to risk escape or treachery...

[TheFallenOne]

"He could give the Cold Suns news of our victory, but I don't think his flying form is strong enough to carry our captives, so it doesn't seem to accomplish much apart from the possibility of someone coming to take over the unocccupied temple while we're still here", Grimmgang reasoned, perhaps more pessimistically than the situation warranted.
"We should get some stuff that helps us once we found the way on. Identify Daiyas sword, just to be sure. Some tools, hammers, shovels, wooden beams... The temple was in surprisingly good repair given its age, but there's always the chance of getting into an unstable corridor. And to transport it all I suggest buying one of these bags of holding. Immensely useful, and it will allow us to get the whole hoard out here in the first place without building a cart."
He got up, brushing dust of his backside and giving the dragon skull a long, appraising look. "What about this one? It may actually fetch a decent price. Makes a rather impressive wall hanging."

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Appraise - (1d20+1)[10]
yeah, Grimmgang can stay behind

You know, I think it would be a rather nice roleplaying situation when we just walk into the Cold Sun camp unannounced with the tied up dragon in tow, could get very interesting what happens next. I'd favour doing this with the whole group instead of letting an NPCed Trunk handle it.

I'm worried about our captives escaping too; if we keep them up in the temple they'll at least be unable to disturb us with the hatches closed, but can get away. Maybe put some more efficient restraints(chains, manacles, a lock) on the shopping list? I'd withhold a full shopping run until we're all back in town; our budget will go up until then, so decisions might change

[MoleMage]

"It might not be a bad idea to have the temple occupied by friendlies. That way at least there's less chance of our enemies coming back. And before Trunk and Shard go back to collect our prisoner, we should ensure that we have properly sealed the passages they won't be using and check for any other entrances to be secure."

[TheFallenOne]

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I think you are forgetting it took us three days from the Cold Suns to here, so waiting for them would mean some downtime - which isn't that bad when I think about it, we're in no hurry and a fallback point with friendlies is handy. So yeah I'm on board with that. Give Trunk the spear and maybe the high priests head as proof of our victory and let's go with that plan.

[TekHed]

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I like the idea you put forth that we should all go with Truck for RP purposes. Why not have Trunk head to town and at least get some basic supplies and some big metal manacles and chains for properly securing our captives. Then we can scour the rest of the temple and bring the dragon back to the Cold Suns on our way out. My concern is if we tell them now and they send an occupying force they might lay claim to/object to our confiscation of the hoard...

[TheFallenOne]

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we're 2 to 1 then, short shopping run and meeting the Cold Suns all together on our way back. I'm also worried Trunk might be unable to find their camp from above in the thick jungle.
Any specific wishes for the shopping? I reccommend toos and a bag of holding. A grasping hook also looks like a reasonable investment for our people without a climb speed(500 GP, +6 on rolls to secure the hook); I only got +3 on Use Rope after all.
Also Masterwork Thieves Tools now I invested in Disable Device.

[TekHed]

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Short shopping run, finish searching/dealing with the temple, finding our relic and getting the heck out.

Shopping list for Shard would include the item you mentioned to pick up Emerald Razor (can it just be my sword), though it might take too long to have Shard's sword enchanted as a martial weapon for that +3 Stance bonus. If I could have that done maybe I could use the spell storing sword in the meantime? I'm not sure the costs/time needed for such things.

And, mayhaps we should give Sur-kil a status update, let him know we are still alive and on the trail...?

[TheFallenOne]

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Trunk won't be able to transport everything we got in one go, may not be enough for that 3000 GP item. Especially if we get a bag of holding before splitting the loot as I reccommend. It's your call as much as mine, I just consider it immensely useful to have one in the group. And traveling for a week, a cart loaded to the brim with a dragons hoard in tow seems imprudent to me, extradimensional storage attracts way less attention.

By the way, found another item you might like. MIC, Heartseeker Amulet. 3000 GP, 3/day make attack as touch. Probablly less useful than the Emerald Razor item, but pure gold combined with Vanguard Strike when we're all ganging up on a boss enemy like the high priest

Update to Surkil seems reasonable. I wonder if he knew about the dragons and decided not to warn us

[TekHed]

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I'm ok with a bag of holding...though you are correct in that individually our shares aren't much. Thanks for the item research. If Sur'kil wants his relics he wouldn't have cause to withhold information that would hamper our success.

[TheFallenOne]

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perhaps he feared we might say 'Oh hell no' to the prospect of fighting a pair of dragons? They are kind of intimidating to most people

[TekHed]

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We probably should have held this convo in the ooc thread but...oh well. What/Who needs to post for us to advance the scene? Or do we wait for Fury???

[TheFallenOne]

With the others gone retrieving the things left at their camp, Grimmgang kept vigil over the bound dragon.
When his companions returned and they made camp, the hatches securely closed, he resisted the temptation of sleeping on the mound of precious metals; while perhaps many a Dwarfs childish dream, the prospect promised to be rather uncomfortable.
The next morning, feeling rested and envigored, he took his time examining the temple more closely while someone else kept watch over their captive. The secret doors piqued his curiosity; it seemed odd to make such elaborate constructions for a minimal shortcut, so he searched the walls and floors inside the hidden corridors very carefully, hoping to find something else hidden there.
Next, he made a thorough search of the lizards' belongings and the other things left in the temple, and while most of the meaning of the reliefs was likely lost on him, he did take some time to admire their fine workmanship while looking for any disguised triggers and mechanisms.
Finally, he scaled the roof of the temple, and after a quick look for anything unusual he basked in the midday sun, oddly at peace. Maybe it was the feeling of having their battle won for now, but he also remembered younger times, when his father had said that after his life as a mercenary he hoped for a simple life, and a sturdy hall of stone he could call home...
Grimmgang gave a deep laugh, a sudden sound that send birds resting in trees nearby flying. No, while this temple now indeed was theirs for the taking, it was no place to call home. "Sorry Father, your dreams are not mine and my quest is not done", he spoke silently. He got up, gliding down a vine with one hand until he reached the ground, leaving his moment of melancholy behind.

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a little peak in Grimms soft core

A single Search or Knowledge(Architecture) roll will likely not be enough for everything, so roll as needed. Take 20 on the hidden corridors

By the way, I think you forgot about the single blackscale that was on patrol around the temple. Maybe he returned for shift change, found everyone slaughtered and then ran off?

[TekHed]

Shard kept alert as it and Daiya made their way back towards the ravine where they had made camp. It would not do well to allow their recent victory to lull any of them into a sense of complacency. Once they had all healed Shard had noticed a strengthening of it's connection with the mysterious being it called on for power, the Cruciform. At the same time, Shard also felt sharper, more individualized than it had been before. From this newfound power, the future began to illuminate for the crystal light-being.

Opening to it's new senses, Shard scanned the near future for signs of weal or woe.

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Casting my new domain spell Augury for the first time to see if it will be safe for Shard and Daiya to make the journey and retrieve the prisoner. IIRC the DM is supposed to roll the result in secret, though I'm open to rolling if you like Sal.

[Sallera]

The storm has not yet let up as Shard and Daiya trek through the jungle to retrieve the captive lizardfolk. Perhaps it is this that makes the trip devoid of any trouble from the natural inhabitants despite Shard's enticing glow, or perhaps they simply sensed the presence of superior predators earlier in the day. Even a small dragon inspires fear. Whatever the reason, there is no difficulty involved in recovering the prisoner, who lacks the strength to resist in any case.

Along with various captured trophies and art objects in the high priest's former room, Grimmgang finds plenty of evidence of the temple's ancient origins; the depiction of the skeletal dragon's battle with a horde of demons in the main hall is especially interesting, as while he cannot read the Draconic script, there is a map of sorts contained in the imagery - a great volcanic caldera matching the one found on more modern cartography, and a small structure in one corner that seems to depict the temple in which you stand, atop a great cavern that surely represents the dragons' lair below. However, it seems to be far more extensive than just what he has seen, and as his search leads him downward, he eventually uncovers evidence of a rotating door in the wall north of the skeletal dragon, along with a concealed lever that appears to be connected. Opening it reveals a long, straight corridor with a closed portcullis at the end, although as the door is clearly weighted to close behind anyone who enters, exploring further alone would appear to be an unwise prospect.

Trunk manages to find what he seeks with relative ease, as none of it is particularly exotic. Adderport sees enough adventurers passing through that "optimized plunder concealment devices," as the kobold shopkeeper puts it, are nearly as easy to acquire as magic blades, although this particular establishment seems to have a near-monopoly on them. The magical equipment, once properly analyzed, turns out to have several useful properties, and as there is no need to sell most of it just yet, he brings it back with the rest.

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Alright, assuming Trunk sold all the light valuables and the tetsubo, that's everything you wanted to buy as well as 1050g extra in loose change.

[TheFallenOne]

After spending most of the day with exploring the temple, Grimmgang reported his findings. The lair below is bigger than we though, there's a secret door in the northern part. A depiction of this place in the relief above tipped me off, though I couldn't read the inscriptions; Trunk, you should take a closer look at that and see what you can learn.
Anyway, let's restrain our captives more properly and prepare for the next part." He put the manacles brought by Trunk on the dragon and lizard, more confident in steel than rope their sharp teeth might chew through. The dragons wings got secured with the chain wrapped tightly around his body.

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let's put as much of the high priests stuff and the hoard into the bag as possible. Just don't feel comfortable leaving treasure behind.
Anyway, who should wear the bag?

[TekHed]

Once they returned to the Temple, Shard aided Grimmgang in securing their prisoners and recommended they use the rope in addition to the metal restraints for good measure. Once that necessity had been taken care of, Shard removed the sending stone and held it in one hand.

"Update: Secured Temple from Blackscales. Defeated two young Black Dragons, the offspring of Rhashaak, long dead. Relics not in hoard. Discovered hidden lair. Investigating now."

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Aid another for tying up the Dragon with ropes on top of manacles, likewise for the Poison Dusk (who we should keep in a separate room so it can't conspire or otherwise get loose and free the Dragon...), unless you think we need the rope for something else...

Shard would be happy to hold the bag for safe keeping. Could we please get an updated accounting of how much gold is left for each of us after shopping so I can add it to Shard's sheet, or are we going to figure that out later?

[MoleMage]

After returning from collecting their campsite and prisoner, Daiya covered her eyes with her blindfold again and leaned against a wall, dozing. Her allies were both stronger and more trained in the use of restraints than her, and she would let them handle things unless she was called for.

After her rest, she feels more at home in her new flesh. Her ears respond with as much sensitivity as before, and she feels as though her limbs move more like her own and less like a fresh new body.

[TheFallenOne]

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I have three ropes, I can easily leave one behind to secure the dragons mouth. It could do something creative with the breath weapon

"The secret door has an automatic closing mechanism, I'll see if I can disable it so it doesn't trap us." Taking out the fine tools Trunk brought, Grimmgang examined the mechanism, carefully manipulating the gears.

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take 20 Disable Device for 25
if Bad Stuff happens on failure and I can't take 20 try until success or Bad Stuff

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(1d20+5)[13]
(1d20+5)[11]
(1d20+5)[12]
(1d20+5)[11]
(1d20+5)[10]
(1d20+5)[16]
(1d20+5)[9]
(1d20+5)[23]
(1d20+5)[15]
(1d20+5)[16]
(1d20+5)[12]
(1d20+5)[9]
(1d20+5)[9]
(1d20+5)[24]
(1d20+5)[25]
(1d20+5)[25]
(1d20+5)[22]
(1d20+5)[16]
(1d20+5)[23]
(1d20+5)[20]
(1d20+5)[6]
(1d20+5)[16]
(1d20+5)[23]
(1d20+5)[23]
(1d20+5)[10]
(1d20+5)[13]
(1d20+5)[15]
(1d20+5)[25]
(1d20+5)[7]
(1d20+5)[7]

[Sallera]

Despite Grimmgang's best efforts, he is unable to find any point of access to manipulate the door's mechanisms as he wishes. While it is simple to see how he might disconnect it from the lever, it seems that would only stop it from being opened. Either the rest is concealed beyond his ability to find, or the door's persistent closing isn't tied to anything in the immediate area.

Sur'kil's reply to Shard is quick and to the point, as though he uses Sendings frequently. "Glad to hear I was right about this job. The details beyond this point are mostly unknown, but the relics should be hard to miss."