Eyes of the Lich Queen IC

[TekHed]

Shard did not like this situation. It had been too easy, the traps too telegraphed. It was visibly concerned about the current situation and seemed jumpier than the others had yet seen it, but it nonetheless walked over and proceeded to help Grimmgang lift the lid off the sarcophagus.

[Sallera]

As you strain as one to gain an inch of leverage on the sarcophagus lid, it seems to become for a moment as light as a sheet of paper, and the resulting surge of motion nearly sends you all to the ground. As the lid crashes to the ground on the opposite side, nearly sliding into the chasm, the reason becomes clear; the creature standing within the sarcophagus, one arm still upraised from pushing open the cover. It is mostly humanoid, or it was once; dusty and dessicated, its cracked, scaly skin shows bits of bone through in several places, and its hands are more akin to claws. Its head does not seem to match its body, and the shape is unsettlingly familiar - you have already had the same draconic visage burned into your mind by your encounter with Rhashaak's children upstairs, and it now stares at you with eyes that are but points of burning light. It does not speak, and does not need to; its very form seems to promise inevitable destruction.

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Initiative time again! I'm sure you saw that one coming.
Shard: 22
Trunk: 17
Grimmgang: 14
Daiya: 14
Creature: 6

Party's turn. Also, everyone but Daiya needs to make a DC17 Will save or be paralyzed for (1d6)[3] rounds. (Sometimes, being blind has its advantages.)

[TekHed]

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Well first things first...let's see if that phenomenal initiative roll amounts to anything...

Will Save: [roll]1d20+11[/roll]

Shard instantly summoned it's glowing face-shield as it prepared for whatever this half-dragon fiend might have in store for them. Clearly, the legends of it's demise were greatly exaggerated...

[TheFallenOne]

Grimmgang's blood froze upon gazing the creature, rendering him unable to move, and Drasil, though lacking blood, had a similar reaction. Trunk, seeing the thing still finding its balance after being freed, lowered his head and pushed forward with brute strength, trying to push it down the chasm.

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wel, hasn't acted yet, so FF and no AoO
Bull Rush - (1d20+4)[14]

[MoleMage]

Daiya immediately assists in Grimmgang's efforts to shove the creature over the edge.

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[roll]1d20+5[/roll]
I don't think my Fighting by Sound ever applied to opposed rolls for combat maneuvers. This is just Strength and Base Attack Bonus. If I could use Wisdom instead of Strength like normal attack rolls, plus 1. If I could use Fighting by Sound, another +3 on top of that. DM's call.

[Sallera]

At first, colliding with the creature is roughly akin to attempting to shove over a tree - an animate one, as the clearly supernatural strength in its papery limbs is sufficient to lift Trunk's shifted form bodily off the ground in preparation for throwing him carelessly aside. However, its lack of regard for its opponents proves its undoing, as a fateful step puts it an inch too close to the knee-high side of the sarcophagus, and the druid manages to gain purchase with two claws on the other rim just as it attempts to toss him away. The resultant maneuver sends a good deal of its own strength back at it, and lacking a weight to match its power, it bends backward and tumbles into the glowing chasm, keeping a vindictive grip on Trunk as it falls out of sight.

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+11 Strength bonus and it nat-1s the opposed check. I suppose that makes up for how unexpectedly lethal the High Priest was, although it's a rather boring outcome.

Anyway, not needed any more, but for future reference, Bull Rush is just a Strength check, no BAB, and yeah, it doesn't make sense for Fighting by Sound to apply.

[TheFallenOne]

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did we just end a boss fight with a bull rush into lava before the fight even really began? Yes, a bit anticlimatic. But also, awesome

also, +11 strength? *gleep* that guy would have hurt

blanked

[Sallera]

The interior of the sarcophagus is bare; it seems to have served only to house the guardian creature.

Daiya:

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You feel a change in the atmosphere through your sense for arcana, a pervasive, seeking presence that seems to swirl and twist independent of the air currents in the cavern.

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We'll just leave Trunk's fate in limbo for the moment, until we get opinions from MoleMage and TekHed.

[TheFallenOne]

His body not answering his commands, Grimmgang watched helplessly as Trunk pushed the creature down the chasm, only to be dragged down along with it. He turned inward, focusing on his determination and fighting spirit, remembered his training. His flesh and mind were one, moved at his command. I am stronger than this dammit. Break... FREE! Every single muscle in his body tensed and it began visibly shaking. Finally, he shook off the paralysis, roaring with primal rage and in the blink of an eye he lept over the edge, bloodying his hand as he clawed at the jagged stone to slow his descent. But he was too late.
Some moments later he reached the top again. His face showed no sorrow, no denial. It was the look of a soldier who had seen too many people die to have such emotion left. "Dead", he said flatly, and Drasil answered with a high-pitched wail, cowering on the ground. The dwarf punched an inch-deep hole into the lid of the sarcophagus with a single strike of his fist and he breathed deeply, regaining his composure. "Let's finish and get out of here", he said and examined the interior of the sarcophagus.

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OK, continuity restored
writing that made me wish I had Iron Heart Surge...

[MoleMage]

"Trunk...did I just hear Trunk fall?! Can anyone see him?"

Daiya sounds panicked, one of the first times you've heard that tone in her voice, even after fights with dragons and her untimely death and reincarnation. She pulls her blindfold off and rushes to the edge, peering over it to try and see Trunk.

[TekHed]

"Brother Trunk!" Shard cried out as it's organic counterpart plummeted along with the demon-fiend into the fiery pit. Many long moments of silence ensued before finally the mineral warrior spoke again. "Perhaps...perhaps he will also return to the forests from which he came, to be born anew into a fresh sapling...as Daiya has also been returned to us..."

[TheFallenOne]

"There wasn't a single splinter left by the time I got down there, we can't bring him back like we did with Daiya", Grimmgang said flatly, sitting on the edge of the sarcophagus. "There ain't no coming back from something like this. He's gone."

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side note: I wouldn't mind if I did make it in time to grab an outstretched claw before it burned up. That would make it easier to bring Trunk back should Fury resurface.
Course, having no remains means we don't have to justify IC why we don't bring him back.

[TekHed]

"Nothing is ever gone, good Grimmgang." Shard replied, seeming somewhat confused by the Dwarf's somber sense of finality. "However, you are correct in that there is little we can do now, save press on in our service to Circle."

[TheFallenOne]

"Of course it is", Grimmgang returned harshly. I killed dozens of men and beasts, and saw countless others die by another's hand. At the Day of Mourning, a whole nation perished in an instant. So there are magics strong enough to bring anyone back, but how many have the power to use it? If one in tenthousand is brought back and no one has the will or ressources to revive the others, how can you say they are not gone? Just because a theoretical possibility is there, even when it is never even considered by those with the power to do so? Give me a break.
Face it, for most of us, dead is dead. There ain't no coming back. And the few who do are little comfort to those who stay dead. But hey, if you have the power to bring Trunk back after his very ashes dissolved in magma be my guest, I kinda liked the wooden bugger."

[MoleMage]

Daiya flashes a look of anger, and then she doesn't respond as a look of confusion washes over her.

"I missed it before with Trunk's death...but there's something going on in the magic here. I think maybe we're being scryed."

[TekHed]

Shard shook it's head. "You do not understand Good Grimmgang...there is more to existence than a walking shell. When you look at me, you see but a Shard of a greater consciousness. When this body crumbles to dust, I will again become one with the All, through time and space, no longer limited to one fixed perspective. Perhaps that will be true for Trunk...perhaps his essence will rejoin the forests from whence he came."

At Daiya's pronouncement Shard stiffened. "Can you ascertain by whom?"

[TheFallenOne]

"What." Grimmgang sprung to his feet at Daiya's words, brandishing his axe like it would do any good. He slowly looked around, trying to notice that tingling feeling, that subtle crawling of the skin when someone hidden watches you.
"I don't like this, let's finish up and get out of here. Half of us already died in these halls, and as half of the other half I'd rather not continue that trend."

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I think I'll go for 'strip this place clean, sort it out later'. Everything that isn't nailed down and looks more valuable than natural rock gets in the bag.
Everything nailed down is unnailed with Mountain Hammer.

I'll examine the altar with Search 23, maybe 25 if someone uses Aid Another. That depression, would one of the artifacts fit in there neatly perhaps?

[Sallera]

The crown and the scepter appear to be the only valuable items in the chamber. Neither matches the depression on the otherwise-unremarkable altar, which it seems is designed to seat a large orb, if anything.

[TheFallenOne]

Grimmgang drew one of the sending stones their employer had given them, recalling his explanation how the item worked, then activated it. "Temple cleared, crypt found. Three niches, one empty. Two articafts, dragonshard crown and scepter, marks of storm and warding. Magical altar, unknown function. Await response."

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what kind of check would it be to construct a primitive cart? With Trunk dead and the hoard, assorted loot and two prisoners to transport I'm pretty sure we need one

[Sallera]

"Excellent work. Retrieve the artifacts, take notes on the altar and the crypt for me, then return. We'll discuss the rest when you get back." Making your way back up to the dragons' chamber, you find that both of your prisoners are still alive, and fortunately still bound.

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Craft: Small Transports, let's say. Or Profession: Wainwright. Synergy bonus from 5 ranks in Knowledge: Architecture and Engineering. DC10 for a sledge, DC18 for a wheeled cart.

[MoleMage]

"As half of the first half I'm inclined to agree with you," Daiya responds to Grimmgang's voiced concern.

Once Grimmgang relays the message and they receive their orders back, Daiya sets about two tasks. First, she catalogs the nuances of magic as best she is able, taking notes about specific threads and flows. Once that is finished she works with Grimmgang as he surveys the room itself, lending her ears and nose rather than her new eyes to the task; tapping on walls, floors, and ceilings to search out hollow spaces, smelling for out-of-place scents, and generally taking in all the information that she can get.

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Skill check: Know (Arcana) to make records of the magical energy. Hopefully we can get them examined by someone with Spellcraft later.
(1d20+5)[6]

Skill check: Listen. Taking the place of a search check. Special attention to hollow areas or unusual smells. Taking twenty (total 32).

Also, craft is useable untrained. We can take ten to assemble a crude sled, or we can work together building a cart.

[MoleMage]

"As half of the first half I'm inclined to agree with you," Daiya responds to Grimmgang's voiced concern.

Once Grimmgang relays the message and they receive their orders back, Daiya sets about two tasks. First, she catalogs the nuances of magic as best she is able, taking notes about specific threads and flows. Once that is finished she works with Grimmgang as he surveys the room itself, lending her ears and nose rather than her new eyes to the task; tapping on walls, floors, and ceilings to search out hollow spaces, smelling for out-of-place scents, and generally taking in all the information that she can get.

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Skill check: Know (Arcana) to make records of the magical energy. Hopefully we can get them examined by someone with Spellcraft later.
(1d20+5)[25]

Skill check: Listen. Taking the place of a search check. Special attention to hollow areas or unusual smells. Taking twenty (total 32).

Also, craft is useable untrained. We can take ten to assemble a crude sled, or we can work together building a cart.

[TheFallenOne]

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hm, our best modifier is +1, even with Aid Another DC 18 can be troublesome if it needs multiple checks. Maybe just settle for the sled?

Grimmgang emptied the bag of holding, filling it with the things he'd prefer not everyone to see immediately on the transport they'd build, namely the valuable metals and coins from the hoard and the recovered artifacts.
After opening the stone doors in the well, he scoured the temple once more, this time looking for any valuables of the inhabitants they hadn't already taken. He helped Drasil up into the temple proper and then took about taking the massive dragon skull up as well. "That thing is bulky, but might fetch a decent price. I fear we might need a vehicle to transport all we got; anyone have experience with that?"

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Let's see, we have
hoard
dragon skull
black dragon corpse
black dragon and poison dusk lizardfolk prisoner
armor of the high priest
the crystal from the platform room
any masterwork quality items the other lizards might have had. If we can manage it, large armor is heavy

I also look for a tarp or similar to cover our transport; I'd rather not display a dragonskull that prominently ^^

[TekHed]

"I am afraid not Sir Grimmgang. However, I shall guard our caravan to the best of my ability. Will we still be escorting our prisoners to the freindly scaled tribe? We are sad for Trunk's absence...we...I had been wanting to question him about his integration with you soft-bodies. Unfortunately his loss also means we are without an interpreter, or diplomatic ties with the Cold Suns..."

[TheFallenOne]

"There are times when you need things like that to ensure a friendly encounter. Throwing the bodies of their vanquished opressors at their feet isn't one of them. Call it universal language if you like.
Besides, some of them should understand Common."

[TekHed]

"Very well. I shall aid you to the best of my ability in the construction of a suitable conveyance."

...

It soon becomes clear however that Shard's bulky form and somewhat stiff movements only get in the way of the party's efforts, so he relegates himself to the role of alert sentry while his companions work.

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Aid another. (1d20)[1] ...or not.

[Sallera]

The jungle provides the wood required to build a crude sledge, and some of the bedding from the blackscales' chambers serves to more-or-less conceal its contents. The conveyance slows your return journey, especially once you reach Cold Sun territory and Grimmgang leads you off the path, spotting signs of a relatively well-used crossing point, but despite a few false starts, it is less than four days after departing the Temple of Kha'shazul that the dwarf detects the noticeable smells of a relatively permanent settlement on the wind. In unfamiliar territory, and accompanied by a cumbersome sledge and a walking torch to put a will-o'-the-wisp to shame, there is naturally no chance of reaching it undetected, and only Daiya notices the lizardfolk before it emerges from the undergrowth at speed, directly in front of you. Carrying only a spear of surprisingly fine make and a stone or pellet of some sort in its other hand, it points the weapon at you with a short bark of something that is presumably Draconic; the universal gesture of 'Halt!' is fairly obvious despite the language barrier. A few more words follow before it pauses, apparently expecting a reply. Daiya and Grimmgang also sense more lizardfolk in the trees behind it; at least another three are waiting out of sight.

[TheFallenOne]

Grimmgang raised his hands and nodded, hoping that such gestures were more or less universally understood in different cultures. He gave Drasil next to him a short pat on the back to make the lizards pay attention to it; it seemed the wooden creatures were on good terms with the Cold Suns, so maybe this would earn them a bit of trust. "We come bearing gifts!" he called out loudly, hoping at least one of them would understand. Giving them a few seconds to translate between them, he slowly stepped back to the sledge and ripped down the covering with a quick swipe, revealing the huge dragon skull flanked by the black dragon siblings, one dead, one in chains. Your enemies - destroyed." Slowly, he reached for armaekrixner, rasing it high; if only he could remember a name like that things would've been easier. "Your ancestral spear - retaken!"

[Sallera]

The lizardfolk blinks twice, slowly; its expression is as difficult to read as ever, but eventually it raises one hand, then turns and vanishes into the brush. Most of its hidden companions seem to follow; one remains, far enough away that it would easily escape the notice of those not endowed with heightened senses.

[MoleMage]

"Give them a few minutes. One of them is still here, watching us. Probably to make sure we don't make any sudden moves."

Daiya holds ready, but non-threatening.