[Group 2] The World's Largest Dungeon - IC

[Mr. X]

One could not hope for a more secure wall at ones back, than the shattered remnants of the southern passage, and so the party gets what rest it can...

Malthos magic closes Fredric's wounds, but can do nothing for the horrid bag of flesh that is what remains of his foot, and does little to sooth the excruciating pain he must be in. For now, however, it is all that can be done for him...

Your sleep is fitful, and your dreams are troubled by the horrors witnessed the previous day. You awaken spurratically through the night, briefly escaping your nightmares, only to find yourself in a deeper one... The cold, flickering blue light of the Everburning Torches, the only light your eyes have seen since entering this awful place, is beginning to grate on your nerves. Day and night have no meaning here, and untill this moment, you never understood how deeply loosing the distinction would disturb you...

At length, noone can bear to remain asleep and the party begins to stir, weary and ragged. Several hours have passed, but no-one has gotten the rest they hoped for, and Fredric has had even less. His breath sharp and ragged as he grits his teeth through the pain of his mangled foot, pulling himself up on one of Kulkov's javelins, and making ready to move as best he can.

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You all awaken 'Fatigued'. Fredric is 'Exhausted'. Gain your HP from resting, and prepare your spells.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav sighs heavily, and takes the lead, at least until and unless Murgan feels up to carrying out any scouting.

In place of his lost glaive, he now wields his trusty morningstar. Without his polearm, he feels a bit less defensible, but it is a negligible loss compared to the others that have been incurred in this journey. For now, the goliath travels on.

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Please remind me when Kulkav needs to make another check for his Filth Fever. For now, he's recovered a bit of Constitution, which helps with his HP issues. Up to 11/21 (true max HP 25)

[Mr. X]

For Kulkov:

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It'll take effect next time you rest. Go ahead and make a roll now, though. I expect you'll kick it this time.

[Fates]

Malthos begins his waking hours by tending to Fredrick's leg, using various pain-killing herbs from his healer's kit, as well as proper wrappings, to reduce the pain and prevent infection.

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Heal Check: (1d20+14)[30]

He then approaches Kulkov, and tries to relieve him of the worst of his feebleness.

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Casting Lesser Restoration on Kulkov.

Spells prepared:
0: Detect Magic x2, Mending x2, Create Water
1: Burning Hands, Blade of Blood, Invisibility to Undead, Obscuring Mist, Summon Nature's Ally I
2: Lesser Restoration, Summon Nature's Ally II, Rebuke, Produce Flame

[Fates]

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Forgot to roll for Kulkov's ability damaged cured.
(1d4)[3]
Note that if the damage was from a magical source, it's healed completely.
The spell also remove's Kulkov's Fatigue.

[Sucrose]

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Forgot to roll for Kulkov's ability damaged cured.
[roll0]
Note that if the damage was from a magical source, it's healed completely.
The spell also remove's Kulkov's Fatigue.

Kulkav nods in deep appreciation for the succor the shaman was kind enough to bestow.

"You are a warrior's best friend, Malthos."

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Regrettably, it's just Filth Fever and Stirges' bloodsucking. However, you cured all but one point of it! Much obliged!

[Mr. X]

Fredric takes the herbs and treatment and looks a bit better. With the barest nod of thanks, he turns to his spellbook, ruffling through its pages, trying to focus enough to learn his spells, pausing only briefly to chew on some trail rations, and then stopping, shuffling through his pack...

"This is the end of my supplies... How are the rest of your stores?" He pauses for a moment, "...Taribo carried much of the extras we found on the orks..."

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Nice Malthos, But yes Kulkov's losses, like your own, are all non-magical.

Regarding Rations, Fredric, Malthos, and Kulkov have used up 3 days worth. Murgan has used 1.

Fredric's Spells:
Lv0: Mending, Ray of Frost, Prestidigitation, Disrupt Undead, Mage Hand..
Lv1: Magic Weapon, Magic Weapon, Grease, Mage Armor.
Lv2: False Life, False Life, Cat's Grace.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav finishes his own breakfast, then turns to Fredric to reply.

"I have one day's rations left. Might be able to roast the leather armor the orcs were wearing for a meal... but it'd be better to try to find something edible."

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Could a sufficient Survival check turn up any food as we traverse the dungeon, or is it just not possible?

[Mr. X]

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Quite possibly. Howeve such a roll would require a fair bit of ranging through the dungeon, which has proven perilous in and of itself... Still, it's better than starvation.

[Sucrose]

The dragonborn goliath smiles wistfully.

"I have a fair measure of experience with that sort of thing. So, are the rest of you ready to continue hunting?"

[Fates]

Malthos nods, looking weary.
I've got two days worth of rations left, but unless any of us fancy rat meat, I think such a thing would be wise.

[Mr. X]

Fredric struggles to pull himself up, wincing sharply, and leaning heavily on Kulkov's javelin, and holding his crippled foot off the ground,"In either case let us be off. Staying here is not helping our situation any."

He turns and begins limping of, not waiting for the rest of the party, gritting his teeth through the pain, and only by sheer will does he not collapse after more than a few steps... But he presses on grimly, assuming the rest of the party shall follow.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav nods, and gently pushes past Fredric to take the lead.

[Mr. X]

Moving forward, the door in the Western wall is a sight to see. Heavy, and made of stone, it is fantastically carved. Depicting a great fountain, in many places the stone is leafed in gold, and rubies and sapphires and even a diamond sparkle from their settings in the door.

Carvings along the walls, leading to the door, depict crowds of pilgrims journeying across great distances, and passed many dangers, to bring gifts and homage to this place.

The passage continues onwards to the north as far as you can see.

[SlyJohnny]

"I didn't know the gnome, but I wish he'd made it. And things were going so well, too... now we can't get out."

Murgan is clearly concerned at this idea. He rubs his head, where a lump is starting to form, from where the door hit him the other day. Surprisingly, it comes off in his hands. He turns it over as he speaks.

"Well, the loot is good. Suppose we press on and try to find a way to the surface."

He heads over to the door, and checks it for traps, already calculating how he's going to pry the gems out of it.

((Taking 20.))

[Mr. X]

For Murgan:

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The lump on your head comes off in your hand?? Care to explain that one a little more?

The door is trap free.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav nods absently.

"And if we find anyone else in this place, we might be able to get them to part with something useful in exchange for those trinkets..."

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Um, should we be concerned about that lump of bruised flesh that just came off in Murgan's hand?

[SlyJohnny]

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I got a psicrystal this level. I have a half-assed idea to fluff it as having grown out of his head... nothing to worry about :P

Murgan nods to the others, and then tries the door.

[Mr. X]

For Murgan:

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Awesome. Keep fleshing it out In-Character, you've got everyone's curiosity piqued :-D.

As the rest of the party stares sideways at the lump of flesh in Murgan's hand, he opens the door.

The room beyond is a wide ante-chamber. Four great pillars support the cavernous roof high above, and the far wall is dominated by a massive vault door of polished stone, gilded in silver and gold.

Standing in the center of the room is a giant iron frame, from which hangs a gargantuan skeleton...

A patchwork of hundreds of mismatched bones, strung togather by strips of cracked leather and bands of iron, and shaped into roughly humanoid form... Four unevenly proportioned arms are supported outstretched by hooked chains, hanging from the frame... Two are massively oversized and, perhaps, once belonged to giants, while a third bears the odd joints and hooked talons of a bird of prey, tipped in gold, and barbed with razor serrations. The last, diminutive by comparison, once belonged to a small child.

A golden mask crowns the structure, likewise diminutive, and wrought in the likenss of a young girl, smiling and innocent.

Golden runes are etched over nearly every portion of it's body, and strange, large, bladed insturments prodrude from the floor surrounding it.

The Map:

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[SlyJohnny]

Murgan checks the doorway and then inches, painfully slowly, into the room. He expects a trap and so assesses every inch of the ground and the walls for a trigger.

((Taking 20 on search checks into the room.))

[Mr. X]

For Murgan:

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You do not find any traps as you step into the room, though your skin prickles slightly as you enter a weak enchantment, laying dormant over the room. Nothing happens, however.

[SlyJohnny]

"Some kind of spell effect in here. I felt my skin tingle as I stepped through, but... I don't feel different. Tell me if I'm act funny." he frowns. He steps back out to the corridor, wondering if he can still feel it now, or if he felt it trigger again after he stepped out. He turns over the lump of flesh from his head in his hand, pushing away some blood and dirt. On closer inspection it appears to be a small stone or pebble stuck to a flake of bloodied skin, and must have lodged itself in the wound against his head after he fell to the ground earlier. He touches his head hesitantly, finding only a thin scab there now.

"Let's try the corridor for now, until we understand what magic is in there. Right?"

So saying, he heads further up the corridor, checking for traps as he goes.

[Fates]

If you give me a moment, I can identify the nature of the magic at work here.
Malthos' eyes glow a faint green as he mutters the words of power needed to identify the spell effect.

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Casting Detect Magic

[Mr. X]

For Malthos:

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The lingering magic is weak at best, a dectection spell of some sort, probably race or alignment, but it's difficult to say. If its meant to trigger something in the event that it detects whatever it's looking for, it's obvious that Murgan didn't set it off. He certainly would have if he'd been whatever it was looking for.

Curiously, you note that the carvings of the pilgrims leading here are recognizable races... Humans, elves, halflings, etc, as opposed to the misshapen creatures depicted earlier.

[Fates]

The glow leaves Malthos' eyes as he begins to speak. The effect within the room is some minor form of enchantment, and appears to be triggered somehow by the alignment of the person entering the room.

Aside from that, it seems to me that room is most likely some sort of ritual chamber. I would recommend that we do not pilfer here.

Interesting, thinks Malthos.Perhaps, if I were to use the sacrificial dagger here, I could gain some insight into what exactly we are facing.

[Sucrose]

Kulkav nods briefly.

"...Murgan wanted us to watch for any strange behavior on his part; can you tell if any of the magic is clinging to him, Malthos?"

While he waits for an answer, the goliath steps forward, remaining close enough to defend Murgan if the situation arises.

[Fates]

Murgan and I have not been affected by the enchantment; most likely due to the fact that I, and I suspect he as well, do not truly identify with either of the popular philosophies. You, however, very well may be affected should you stand any closer.

[Mr. X]

Fredric listens to the debate for a time, leaning heavily against the wall, before eventually chiming in, speaking through clenched teeth. "While I appreciate the need for caution, I must point out that I cannot continue like this for long..." he shifts his weight, wincing painfully, "This is by far the most secure room we've found thus far, and the viable components within, not to mention what might be found beyond that door, could well suffice to give us the edge we need to survive this place." He takes a ragged breath, and gestures back towards the caved in passage..."Escape is lost to us, and I am reduced to rat food. I fear our situation shall only become more desperate as we go."

[Fates]

Malthos nods. Indeed, until our magic is stronger, we will need to progress with great caution. Whatever the enchantment here does, it is of little power.

[SlyJohnny]

Murgan frowns. "That thing in there screams trouble to me. I'd rather press on and find another room to hold up in. We have the goblin's food, after all..."

He glances back into the room, at the imposing skeleton. "If you can't move, you can't move. But I don't like it."