The Rings of Destiny

[Grue Bait]

Ramsus's Stuff
Attack: (1d20+7)[22]
Damage: (1d8+4)[6]

"Down to one!"

Sly Flourish
Attack: (1d20+7)[26]
Damage: (1d6+7)[12]

"You're worthless, rotter!"
Vicious Mockery
Attack: (1d20+4)[19]
Damage: (1d6+4)[8]

[Vesth]

The combined attacks finally felled the final skeleton, destroying the last undead in the room

*Combat Over!*

Spoiler

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Each player gets 117 exp

As you explore the rest of the room, you notice that quite a few bones ardorn the area, and the southeast corner of the room is black with soot and dust, with a complete skeleton dressed in tattered robes lying there, surrounded by burned bones and a backpack untouched by anything but time.

The centre of the room is filled by what seems to be a broken orb, with shards of it littering around the area.

Map

Spoiler

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[Grue Bait]

"Dibs on the goodies in the sack," Malus says as he enters the room. "Oh, geez, that looks bad. How does everything around the guy get blazed but he and his bag stay untouched? Pretty sketchy, if you ask me."

[Matthias2207]

"W-We shouldn't disturb the dead any more. Can't we just leave? I r-really don't like it here. I miss the sun..." Stroop starts to sob a little.

[Penguinator]

Tar-Kan shakes his head. He points at the shattered orb, making no sound.

[Grue Bait]

"Hey, Stroop? You'll be fine, I promise. Nothing down here will hurt you while I'm around. See Mountain and Tar-kan? See how big and strong they are? They won't let anyone hurt you either." Ligo approaches the shattered orb. "Anyone know what this is? Or how it got this way?"

[usourselves&we]

((if time could be turned back a bit to give a fake an answer.))

"Dibs on the goodies in the sack," Malus says as he enters the room. "Oh, geez, that looks bad. How does everything around the guy get blazed but he and his bag stay untouched? Pretty sketchy, if you ask me."

"Ooh! I know, the dead guy is magic and had fire breath, or at least tha-"

"W-We shouldn't disturb the dead any more. Can't we just leave? I r-really don't like it here. I miss the sun..." Stroop starts to sob a little.

*rolls eyes*

"Hey, Stroop? You'll be fine, I promise. Nothing down here will hurt you while I'm around. See Mountain and Tar-kan? See how big and strong they are? They won't let anyone hurt you either." Ligo approaches the shattered orb. "Anyone know what this is? Or how it got this way?"

"Can't you feel the place and work it out for yourself, or does being only half-elf make you twice as lazy?"

[Arcana] (1d20+10)[16]

[Ramsus]

Mountain silently places a reassuring hand on Stroop's shoulder then turns to Maulus and says, "Be wary."

[usourselves&we]

Having picked up a shard of the broken orb then tossing it "Meh, boring. But this lock over here is where all the crazy magic is at!" Chee makes his way over to the door to the east adding "Anyone have a couple shinny keys? Think they would be shinny anyway, or maybe they would be bone keys considering the location, well they could be normal but. . ." more rambling that we don't have time to type out fully.

[Grue Bait]

"Yeah, yeah, kid, I'll pick it in a minute. I'm gonna check the goody bag over here"

Perception- Backpack
(1d20+6)[7]

[Grue Bait]

Malus opens the bag

[Vesth]

Malus moves forward, and gently opens the bag.

The moment the bag is opened, a stream of magic bursts forth, which molds into the form of the face of a gaunt old man, with a dirty, dingly beard, and wearing dark blue robes.

"Ack, let's hope that rats don't activate my spell, ehh? Wouldn't want to spend so much energy just to have it wasted. Assuming the person viewing this spell is intelligent, I have a request for you.

Oh god. I better not be talking to a blasted rat. Or to someone that doesn't speak common. I really should have thought this through...

Ok, time here is short. My shield can only last an hour at most, and the old man has things to say.

Let's start at the beginning.

Marassa was quite the ambitious mage in his time. Always going around and testing the limits of magic! There was this funny accident where he tried combining Bigby's..well nevermind. It'll take a day and a night to tell that story. Anyway, he had a special taste for summoning undead, and he terrorised quite a few villages with it. But adventurers and irritated townsfolk or disgrunted paladins weren't his downfall. It was a disease, Nighthold Fever, that told hold of him and made him weak. After fighting it for several weeks, he disappeared.

And we have cause to believe that he has researched quite a bit on that disease, but he perished before he was able to complete it. And it's quite valuable, so we were tasked to retrieve the notes of the disease from him, defences or not, but it was a lot more difficult than we imagined...

For one, his crypt is a lot bigger than it's supposed to be! I suspect it's because most of his rooms are connected to other dimensions, but that is not the main problem.

The main problem is the darn monsters! They're surprisingly weak, but each monster we kill, it revives. Each trap we disable, it comes back. The monsters do not tire, but we do. Eventually, everyone was wiped out. Except, of course, yours truly.

I managed to do some research and I have come to the conclusion that an orb is responsible for this. It practically radiates dark magic! By my calculations, with the last of my spells, I should be able to destroy the orb, and it will destroy all linkages to the other dimensions, and prevent any monsters or traps from recurring. But I'll be dead.

So, if possible, please try to retrieve the notes. There's a scroll in this bag that will teleport you back to the surface. Give it to the priests of the temple. Thank you..." the sound echoes away as the face vanishes.

The bag contains said scroll, along with a magical falchion and a potion of healing.

[Penguinator]

Tar-Kan stared for a moment, before slipping the blade from the bag. "Any objections to my taking this blade?"

[Ramsus]

Mountain shakes his head no and says, "I would request the potion."

[Grue Bait]

"How did that sword even fit...? Anyway, I'll take the scroll, and hold onto the bag. Where to, boss?"

[usourselves&we]

"Hold on there tightrope." Chee moves to stare down Malus, which is particularly hard considering the size difference of about two feet. "Do you even know how to use that scroll you have in your hands? No, don't answer that. Don't even think of trying to answer that. I know your type, you go into places take the stuff that sparkles when no light is around and you sell it to the town fool for less then it's worth, but more then you think it is. But I'll tell you, I know what the glowing stuff is worth and I know better then you what the other stuff is worth too, so I'll be setting the selling price of the useless things we gather here, wait never mind all that, just give me the scroll before you damage it or open a vortex to the void."

[Grue Bait]

Rage flashes across Malus's face. "You. Know. Nothing of "my kind," Shortstack. You want the goods? You open the trap-ridden box. You grow the cajones to check out the suspicious backpack in the burn scar. Until then, you can go mix your tonics and gypsy drinks in the corner. No, really, back off."

[Ramsus]

Mountain shakes his head at the typical "civilized" behavior. "Do either of you actually know what the scroll is?"

[usourselves&we]

Turning slightly from the confrontation "Sure I do, the floating head said it was a teleport spell. If big old pointy-ears gave it to me I'd be able to tell you more about it." Turning back Chee holds his hand out. "Let me see it."

*mutter* "Anyways you called dibs on looking, not my fault for respecting the code."

[Penguinator]

Tar-Kan slips back into the shadows, slicing the air with his new toy. He looks it over, nodding at how it felt in his hand. (And his hand... and his hand... and...) There would be appropriate times for argument, perhaps. When those times came, he may even join in. This was not one of those times.

[Grue Bait]

"Not so! I called the stuff inside the bag. I've got no use for the sword and drink, and by giving them away, I live longer. Now about the scroll... Erm, lessee, it's, ah, teleportation, and so it'll ah, get you from here to there. Really fast."

[Ramsus]

"Do you know how to use it Malus? Magic is dangerous to meddle with. Especially the stronger it is." (said the magically created lifeform.)

[Grue Bait]

"Uhhhh..."

Arcana Check: (1d20-1)[13]

[Grue Bait]

"Uh, yeah, totally." He examines the scroll, turning it over in his hands. "It'll take us, uhh, up. Yeah, up, to the surface. I'll use it when we're done here, no problem."

[Penguinator]

As Tar-Kan swung the sword in the darkness, it began to emit a blue glow. "That's new..."

Arcana: (1d20)[17]

[Matthias2207]

"Uh, yeah, totally." He examines the scroll, turning it over in his hands. "It'll take us, uhh, up. Yeah, up, to the surface. I'll use it when we're done here, no problem."

"Ummm... Isn't that exactly what the man in the bag said? I really think it's better if you gave it to Chee."

[Grue Bait]

"Well, there's no fun in that, is there? Anyway let's get moving. I can smell the money in this place."

[usourselves&we]

Looking a bit annoyed, Chee backs down from the fight. "You're right, there are much better things for me to get my hands on here. . . But, where do we start?"

[Grue Bait]

"Well you said east was magic-locked, right? How's north and south look, Chee?"

[usourselves&we]

Chee looks at the lock once more, shuts his eyes, takes a deep breath and swallows a fly. while coughing a stray thought (probably made from the cursing of a tiny insect's last breath) as to the way of how to open the door pops up.

After a puzzled look holds his face for a time Cheemormechee can no longer hold the disgust. "NO! No no no no no. Why do people have to be so . . . unclean-ly with their magic protection! I don't even know where that lock has been, who has been by it, whose touched it. . . A DOG could have licked it for the love of. . . do you even know. . . and the smell of them when it rains! Horrid! And rain in general are you kidding me! I'd rather it be winter! Oh . . . but then, then you would have other problems. don't get me started on food in winter." With his rant Chee moves to go down the south path, unless someone stops him.