Ghostfoot's Age of Worms (IC)

[Cognomen]

Vandill nods at Flimflam in thanks and then grimaces at Thoradin. "All right. I guess we should try again, then." He sets back to trying to push the sarcophagus even further clockwise.

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Strength check (1d20+3)[13]

Assuming Thoradin helps and in case Van's and Thoradin's combined rolls aren't good enough, here are a couple more for Van:
(1d20+3)[15]
(1d20+3)[14]

[Ghostfoot]

Vandill pushes against the sarcophagus and swivels it right around to point northwest again. There is a soft click as it settles to point towards the corridor with the yellow lantern.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.

The circular metal column again rises out of the floor at the end of the northwest corridor. Seconds after it comes to rest, two doors slide open revealing an empty chamber about the size of a person.

[Cavir]

The column rises again but this time Flimflam goes to take a close look, with the results from the last column still fresh in his head.

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Listen (1d20+3)[17]
Outer search (1d20+8)[14]
Inner search (1d20+8)[14]

[Cavir]

If my suspicions aren't confirmed (another trap), I'll Take 20 on the searches.

[NovaZulu]

Revell chats idly to Whittaker while watching the Gnome search the lift

'And how are you getting on with Chesdale Whittaker?'

'?? ...'

'That's right Rattus Rattus.'

'...'

'Hmm? ... no you are a Mustilid my friend'

':D ...'

'Yes closer to a Badger ... you know on reflection that maybe why Flimflam doesn't like you.'

'O.O ...'

'Ohh really? ... you didn't? ... My sincere apologies then, to be honest I thought it was too obvious to be missed.'

'O.o ...'

'No I wouldn't mention it Whit ... people are often a little sensitive about facial scars ... just keep your distance is my advice.'

OOC

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I'm aware Revell doesn't need to talk to Whit, and that Whit doesn't construct his thoughts in language. I try to capture that when Whit is making a suggestion/trying to 'say' something, but he's quite a nice foil when Rev is just talking at him. Hope that's OK.

[Ghostfoot]

Flimflam spends a good couple of minutes looking over the elevator/ chamber, and can see nothing suspicious.

[Cognomen]

Watching the wizard's one-sided conversation out of the corner of his eye, Vandill rests briefly against the sarcophagus as Flimflam searches the chamber. Upon learning that it's empty, the monk looks at it and the elevator in a distinctly cranky fashion before turning his attention to the coins and gem the gnome has brought back.

"Well," he comments to no one in particular, "least there'll be some coin to drink with. What do you reckon these shinies are worth?" He takes the bag of ceramic beads, the silver ring, and the necklace out of his pack and examines them, along with the ruby.

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Appraise check: (1d20-1)[6] Oops, just remembered Ghostfoot said he'd do the appraise rolls for us.

[Cavir]

'Maybe it would be good for me to hang on to one of the CLW potions and a couple of the beads in case we need to find out their purpose hard way.

I was thinking, we could take the remains over there (points to the mouldering skeleton in the NE area) and give it a free ride on this supposed elevator. If it comes back ok, then I could see where it goes myself. Thoradin, do you think these mechanical workings would survive a few more rotations?'

[Mo_the_Hawked]

Thoradin

With a slight of perplexion on his face while he scratches his beard. "Um, I don't see why not. Can't say I know much about this sort of thing. Spent most of me time in tha forge, smithing and smelting."

[Cavir]

'Well, hopefully the whole floor doesn't collapse doing all this'

Flimflam carefully moves the skeletal remains into the chamber. He adds a gold piece onto the floor next to it and then heads back over to the sarcophagus.

'Let's do it.'

Flimflam will try helping to push.

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Goal is to cycle all the way around to back to the NW chamber so here's multiple Aid attempts:
(1d20-1)[14]
(1d20-1)[18]
(1d20-1)[4]
(1d20-1)[9]
(1d20-1)[9]

[Ghostfoot]

With the weight of the skeletal remains, some sort of trigger in the elevator is tripped. The doors slide shut, almost catching Flimflam's fingers.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE.

You hear the elevator descend.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE.

A few seconds later the elevator ascends back to your chamber. The doors slide open and the skeletal remains (and gold coin) are displayed exactly as you left them.

[Cavir]

'It would be preferable to have more long term light, maybe there will be more down there.' Flimflam pockets the gold piece, sticks the unlit torch in his belt, and sticks his flint and a piece of phosphorescent moss (to cast Light) into easily accessible pockets. Flim then draws his newly acquired silver shortsword. 'Ready for some fun Chesdale?! Let me know what you smell as we get down there.'

Flimflam turns towards the group, smiles, and takes a step backwards into the chamber. He leans up against one side to try to gain some cover/hiding when the doors open down below.

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Hide [roll]1d20+3[/roll]
Spot [roll]1d20+3[/roll]

[Cavir]

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Hide (1d20+3)[10]
Spot (1d20+3)[13]
Listen (1d20+3)[8]

[Ghostfoot]

Schnick! The elevator doors shut as soon as Flimflam enters. The pod starts descending in pitch darkness.

Flimflam:

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After a few moments the elevator stops and the doors open. You can sense that there is a room before you, but you can't hear anything. After a few moments of careful listening you step gingerly into the room and light a torch. Schnick! The doors close behind you and you hear the elevator ascend.

You are in a 15ft by 20ft chamber. The walls here are covered in bas-relief images similar to the figure on the sarcophagus lid in the room above. Nearly a dozen androgenous, hairless humanoids are carved in poses of deference, almost as if they are paying homage to the viewer. Many extend their hands in adoration, their faces awash in adulation. Several of the statues are missing arms, hands or heads.

To the west a dark passage extends from an elaborately carved arch. Only a little of the hallway is visible, as a large stone block obscures most of the passage. A large niche, about the same size as the block, is in the ceiling above it.

A button of sorts is set into the wall next to the elevator.

A fine layer of dust covers everything in the room.

Map:

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Rest of party:

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Flimflam descends in the elevator. A few long moment later the elevator reappears and the doors open. It is empty.

[NovaZulu]

'Either a very good sign or a very bad sign,' whispers Revell, 'do you think we should follow or give him a minute to explore?'

[Mo_the_Hawked]

Thoradin

Hustling toward the elevator Thoradin answers back, "Either way we'd best get down there's no telling what it is he found!''

Thoradin straps on his shield and readies his hammer once he gets to the elevator.

[Cognomen]

Vandill grimaces and nods in agreement with Thoradin. "If he meets more creepy-crawlies down there, he'll need backup. Anyway, it's a change from rotating that %$# sarcophagus." The monk mutters something to himself involving beetles and miscellaneous curse words, and follows the dwarf to the elevator.

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If the elevator will only take one person down at a time, Vandill will have to wait until Thoradin descends. If it can take both of us at once, he'll come along at the same time.

[Ghostfoot]

One at a time you descend in the elevator. It is a bit nerve-wracking as you don't quite know what to expect. Eventually you are all in the lower chamber.

[Cognomen]

Vandill is third down, and immediately leaves the elevator to make a quiet circuit of what parts of the room the party can reach despite the stone block. "You might want to make less noise, people. Never know what might hear us down here."

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Vandill's move silently check: [roll]1d20+3[/roll]
Listen check: [roll]1d20+3[/roll]
Spot check: [roll]1d20+4[/roll]

If he sees or hears nothing of interest, he is going to give the stone block a shove (but would prefer it if Flim had already checked that block for traps).

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Cognomen]

OOC: Oh no I broke the rolls : ( Here we go again:

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Move silently: (1d20+3)[10]
Listen: (1d20+3)[10]
Spot: (1d20+3)[9]

[Cavir]

Flimflam spends his time waiting on the others by searching the room. Once the party is is back together he extinguishes his torch and stands by the block that is almost 3 times his height. 'Can I get some help?' With help he gets up on top of the block and takes advantage of his low-light vision to peer down the hallway. Revell, can we have your light up here to cover both sides? A rope might be helpful too.'

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Searching the initial chamber (1d20+8)[17]
Looking down the hallway: Spot (1d20+3)[14]
Is there enough space for us to get through to the hallway?

[NovaZulu]

Revell emerges form the elevator to join the others just in time to hear the request for the torch. He passes it up to Flimflam and peers around the chamber.

Revell quickly checks the reliefs, especially the damage, looking for signs of acid beetles. Satisfied that their is no immanent danger he reflects on the artistic merits of the works.

OOC

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Rev will follow the rest of the party as they investigate the corridor, retrieving the torch from Flimflam when the group reaches the other side of the block.

[Ghostfoot]

Flimflam spends his time looking for ways forward and searching the room. From on top of the stone block you can see through a gap down the hallway beyond. Curious carvings that seem to represent a tempest cover the walls of the 10ft wide passageway. At 10ft intervals, small alcoves flank the passage, and each alcove hold a 7ft tall statue of tall figure, reminiscent of Calish-ite design. A faint breeze seems to come from the passage.

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You could squeeze through the gap with a DC 25 Escape Artist check.

Also, more sinisterly, Flimflam uncovers many small gas valves hidden in the mouths of the bas-relief figures in the room that you are in. There is furthermore a hidden pressure plate trigger under the stone block. If you were to move the block (to clear the archway) without disarming the pressure plate, the valves will trigger.

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You could move the stone block with a DC 25 Strength check.

[NovaZulu]

'Designed again with an airy visitor in mind,' whispers Revell, 'and trapped again against the land bound.'

'If we weren't trespassing in a scared gravesite I'd call it prejudice plain and simple,' he laughs.

[Cavir]

'I don't see how you big 'uns will squeeze through up here when it would take me a while to get through. Maybe we could move the rock but that will set off a trap under it that will fill this room with gas. Give me a minute.'

Flimflam holds the torch up towards the niche above to see if there is anything of note. Failing anything useful up there he sticks his head into the archway gap to look for anything like a way to disarm the trap on the other side. Failing that he comes back down and studies the trap directly, talking to himself aloud.

'Maybe we can move the block enough to let us through but not set it off?' points out the pressure plate
'Maybe we can clog the valves up there?' points out the valves
'If anyone else is good with this stuff I'm all ears.'

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Feel free to space this out between other characters' actions. Taking my time on each.
Search the above niche (1d20+8)[15]
Spot the above niche (1d20+3)[6]
Spot through the arch gap (1d20+3)[9]

[Cognomen]

When Flimflam mentions the potential usefulness of rope, Vandill nods and lopes back to the elevator. He rides it back up to the sarcophagus room, where he pulls from the hole the two ropes that have been tied together. Throwing them in loops over his shoulder, he makes his way back down to the rest of the party.

After understanding what sort of trap Flim has discovered, the monk narrows his eyes. Wheels, insofar as they're there, are turning in his head. "What about that orange glop? For clogging the valves. Maybe I should've left the rope where it was."

OOC:

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I'm assuming that nothing untowards occurs to Vandill up above, and that he's able to get back in time to hear Flim's second question. I'll make changes if any of that is a problem.

[Cavir]

'Good idea, but I'm not sure how powerful the gas will be. Let's see what I can figure out.'

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Taking my time and using the detailed focus of a wizard learning a new spell to find a way to disable or bypass the trap, giving others plenty to time to escape up the elevator if they choose. Can't take 20 but I'm almost to that point.
Disable Device (1d20+8)[17]

[Ghostfoot]

Flimflam spends a minute or so tinkering with the mechanism, but can't get it to deactivate.

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You can retry if you want. The fact that it didn't trigger means that you failed by 4 or less. Alternatively you could use an Action Point to add +1d6.

[Cavir]

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My first game with APs and forgot them, thanks!
I'll try again, taking 10 + AP
Disable Device = (1d6+18)[24]

Flimflam spends some more time on the trap, being very thorough.

[Ghostfoot]

After a few more minutes, Flimflam successfully disengages the trap mechanism.

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Cool. So now to get past the stone slab I need either a DC 25 Str check to move it, or a DC 25 Escape Artist check each to slip though.