Tempting Fate [IC]

[Tuvarkz]

"Well, if someone weighted more than three hundred without armor and equipment, I could've always taken off my armor and weapon and made space for another hundred pounds." commented Darruk, who had meant no offense. "I can sustain my wall climbing almost indefinitively."

[QuidEst]

"Really? I've met plenty of mages who'd love to be able to keep it up for so long," Kyoni said, clearly impressed. "And thank you for the ride. I'm no sorcerer, bending physical laws to my whims. I prefer a… gentler touch. Which doesn't do me much good when faced with something like that."

As they crossed over, she silently conjured a small pebble, dropping it down into the apparent void.

Spoiler: Action

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Prestidigitation solves everything!

[Tuvarkz]

"Well, those like me who dedicate whatever little supernatural power we have to combat and martial techniques train ourselves to go all day long." The half-orc started climbing through the wall, approaching the chasm's sides, and continued with: "Actually, I believe those amongst us that came back from the dead or are outsiders could theoretically go on forever."

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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The fox statue doesn't move. From its direction, though, you clearly hear a voice say, "This one."

Spoiler: DC 15 Will save (this is an illusion effect)

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As you focus more specifically on the sculpture, you notice that the wall at the back looks a little odd, with a slight seam or irregularity of some sort. A moment later, that section of stone fades out of view entirely, revealing what looks like the start of a hallway; it fades to darkness around ten feet in.

You'd have to squeeze a bit to get through the stone teeth to the opening, but you think it should be doable.

Spoiler: Kyoni

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As you drop the pebble, it falls gently down to the floor...and then straight through it. A moment later, you hear a quiet click as it hits an unseen surface some distance lower.

Spoiler: DC 15 Will save (this is an illusion effect)

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As you focus on it, you realize that the entire floor below you looks odd, the stone not quite as smooth and luminescent as the rest of this room. A moment later, it fades out of view entirely, having seemingly been some enormous illusion.

The actual floor is ten feet lower, but otherwise looks the same as the illusionary floor, with two notable exceptions. First, the pebble you dropped is lying on the stone directly underneath you. Second, there's a small, ornate chest in the middle of the floor.

[Bhaakon]

"Shoddy craftsmanship." Tove comments as the obvious seam in the wall betrays the illusion cast over an entire section. She is about to turn and tell all the others what she has heard and seen when Kyoni and Darruk's shameless flirting drifts back over the chasm. Silver-gray eyes roll as Tove decides to let them continue down her chosen path. With the Rose's grace, they'd find a private room there.

She turns to the blond-haired man instead. "I've found another way, if you don't care for the indignity of piggy-back ride." She indicates the fox's mouth with her glaive before summoning up her moonlight halo and crawling through the stone maw.

[Bhaakon]

Part way into the fox's mouth, Tove stops. "Oh? What have we here..." She reaches for one of the statue's teeth, where a seem is clearly visible. Some sort of compartment, perhaps. She pries it open.

Spoiler

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Secret compartment in the tooth was mentioned in the chat

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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The bit of stone yields easily to your touch, revealing a small compartment inside the stone tooth. In it, you see a wand of dark wood covered in elegant silver script.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni was forced to let the comment about 'going all day' pass untouched given the circumstances. "Hold on," Kyoni said, both in answer to Tove and as a request to Darruk. "I think I've found something as well. Darruk, would you mind climbing down to the floor? Don't get off, just keep climbing down. I think the floor itself is false in this area."

[Bhaakon]

"A wand, I believe." Tove says flatly as she extracts the silver-inscribed length of dark wood from the hollow tooth. She she crawls back out of the passage and gets a look at the thing in a better light. "Passable calligraphy, perhaps well crafted enough to hold an enchantment. Barely. Are any of you attuned to that sort of thing?" She hands over the wand to whoever can divine its properties, then turns back to the fox's head.

"There are seven secrets in this room. Where are the ones we've not yet discovered?" She asks the head. It might not be a particularly inspired piece of sculpture, but at least it had proven useful.

[Tuvarkz]

Darruk nodded and started climbing the wall downwards, to see whether the spellcaster's suspicions were real.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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"I only know the one I see," the same disembodied voice says. The statue continues not to move.

Spoiler: Kyoni and Darruk

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Climbing down, you find that Kyoni's suspicions were correct. Darruk's foot passes through the "floor" with no resistance whatsoever. Passing through it, you feel nothing but a faint, tingling chill, emerging moments later into clear space below.

The actual floor is ten feet lower, seemingly in this entire area. It looks about the same as the illusionary floor above it, with two notable exceptions. First, there's a pebble directly underneath you. Second, a small, ornate chest sits in the middle of the space.

[Bhaakon]

The one I see? Tove chew her lip for a moment. There were two obvious anwers. The direction the statue's eyes pointed, or the eyes themselves.

She tries the second option first, searching carefully for a seem or catch in each of the eyes.

Spoiler

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I'll take 20 on the perception for 21, if possible. If not: (1d20+1)[19]

[QuidEst]

"A wand?" Kyoni called back up. "Yes, I'll take a look. Just a moment- I want to check this first." She slid off Darruk's back, hurrying over to the chest. She gestured at it, unseen force going to open it.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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The eyes of the statue seem to just be more stone, indistinguishable from the rest except by glowing red rather than white. Even if you climb up to look in detail or physically manipulate the eyes, there doesn't seem to be any seam or trigger.

Spoiler: Kyoni

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Inside the chest, you see a ring nestled into a bed of black crushed velvet. The ring is silver, carved with an extremely fine, elaborate pattern of feathers and clouds.

A moment's magical examination reveals it to be a ring of feather falling.

[Bhaakon]

With a sigh and her typical slight frown, Tove gives up examine the eyes. There was nothing there, clearly, so it had to be the direction they are staring. Her next move is clear, she traces it gaze and begins searching once more.

Spoiler

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Take 20 again on perception for 21

[QuidEst]

"Found a magic ring," Kyoni called back up. "Good for falling long distances without dying at the end. It's a nice box, too- black velvet and everything. If you toss the wand down, I'll have a look."

[Bhaakon]

Tove interrupts her search long enough to toss Kyoni the wand. There wasn't much she could do with it, anyway.

[QuidEst]

"Thanks." Kyoni took a look at the wand, examining it with a pass of her magic.

Spoiler: Spellcraft

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Just a take-ten for 21. If that's not enough, somebody else will need to take a look, or she can try again tomorrow.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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After examining the patch of wall across from the sculpture for a moment, you notice that there's a grid drawn on the wall in a slightly brighter stone that stands out slightly against the background. A few seconds later, more lines draw themselves on the grid. After a moment you recognize it as a chessboard.

One of the "pieces" slides forward, the pattern of light slipping across the stone. It pauses a moment later, seemingly waiting for you to make a move.

Spoiler: OOC

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Chess game! That'll be a flat Int check, unless you want to make a case for something else.

Spoiler: Kyoni

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After a few moments' examination, you identify the item as a fully-charged wand of locate object..

[QuidEst]

Kyoni turned the wand around, examining it. "It's got a spell for finding things," she called back at last. "These might be tools for future challenges. In any case, I can use the wand just fine if we need, and it doesn't seem to be low on magical energy."

The riddle had mentioned something about a way forward in the floor, so she started to look around for anything else.

Spoiler: Actions

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Take 20 on Perception for 29.
Kyoni might start doing a Detect Magic sweep if you don't mind those. I usually ban 'em, but that's because they're a pain to figure out answers to in a live game. If you do mind them, no problem.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Tove

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You aren't terribly familiar with the game, but you do remember the rules, and after a few minutes you get the hang of it again. Whoever or whatever you're playing against is skilled, but also predictable, and you manage to catch it by surprise often enough to balance out your relative lack of skill. Finally, after a prolonged midgame in which most of the pieces on both sides are taken, and a long, tense endgame, you manage a checkmate. A moment later, that section of the wall slides down into the floor, leaving not even a seam between the two pieces of stone.

Behind it is a small recess in the wall, barely large enough to stand in. Hanging on the wall opposite the opening is a narrow banner of shimmering crimson silk, with an intricate image of a fox's head embroidered on it in black thread.

Spoiler: Kyoni

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You don't notice anything else of particular interest down on the lower level. It seems like the box and the ring were the only things of note under the illusion.

Spoiler: OOC

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Detect magic sweeps are fine with me, just let me know when you're doing one so that I know what information to provide. You don't detect any other magic down here if you do look.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni looked over at Darruk. "Do you mind giving me a lift out of here? If there are any more magical items lying around, it'll be easiest if I look for them." She slipped the ring on. Where there was one illusory floor, there might be another.

[Bhaakon]

Chess...it was almost as if the creators of this place had picked out the very worst match for Tove. A test of strategy and foresight...and she'd well proven how little she possessed of the later. So it was most fortunate that her magical opponent was equally lacking. It knew how to play the odds well enough--always making the smart move--but creativity was entirely beyond it. No master would watch that match and consider it well-played, but the barest flicker of pride sparks in Tove's heart as she makes the final move. It nearly blossoms into a proper flame before being stamped down by reason. It's just some elemental mindlessly executing a long list of instructions, after all. No great feat. Embarrassing that it took more than four moves, really.

But the prize...oh, the prize. It was almost impressive. Acceptable, even. She reaches out and takes the strip of crimson silk in hand, allowing herself to savor the liquid caress of the fabric. Most certainly the finest craftsmanship I've encountered since...

"I've found another." She calls out with reluctance, a hair's breadth from folding the foxy bandana and hiding it away for herself alone. This was promising. More than promising. She won't dare let it out of her sight. She holds it out for magical examination, but won't hand it over.

[Tuvarkz]

The half-orc simply said: "No problem."

[QuidEst]

Assisted by the half-orc, Kyoni returned to the edge. She could afford to be a little cavalier with the places she went. If Darruk decided to simply leave her there, she'd wait out the night, meditating on the appropriate spell to get her out of the situation. "Another?" Kyoni walked over, observing the sash up close. "Mmm. Nice design. I think I'll try it on." Rather than taking the scarf, however, she simply uttered a strange word. The belt around her waist was immediately replaced by an exact copy of what Tove was holding, the embroidered fox head hanging down a little off center in the front. The rest of her outfit changed to accommodate the substitution, reds and blacks switching places. "What do you think?" she asked, turning a little. "Of course, if you're going to be wearing it, I wouldn't want to spoil that with one of my own. It'll look lovely on you, although you might need to do something so the colors won't clash." She said the command once more, and her outfit returned to how it had been, the black three-part with a golden eye-like clasp returning. "Now, let's see what it does. Oh, and here's your wand back."

Spoiler: Stuff

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Sleeves of Many Garments to play dress-up.
Examining the sash for magic, etc.

[ylvathrall]

Spoiler: Kyoni

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You identify the banner as a knight's pennon of battle.

[QuidEst]

Kyoni let go of the sash, nodding towards Tove's glaive. "As fashionable as it is, you'll get better results putting it on there. A little cloth courage, as it were."

[Bhaakon]

Taking the suggestion--and quite glad that the item seemed of use to her over the others--Tove ties the crimson strip just below the head of her glaive, positioning it to highlight the fox embroidery.

"You're right." She answers Kyoni after a few practice swings of the weapon, a bit surprised that the cloth didn't cause any noticeable drag. "It almost seems quicker in my hands."

[Tuvarkz]

The items identified, Darruk commented: "Perhaps we should keep going onwards now?"

[QuidEst]

"Well, they did mention seven secrets- and considering what we've found so far, I'd like to take a little time to make sure there isn't something else. Might need some help if there are any more pits, but the ring will keep me from hurting myself at least. Since everything else has been magical, I'll see if I can't find it a little more directly," Kyoni answered. She started at the back corner, moving along the hall's edge, keeping her mind open to sense the telltale traces of magic.

Spoiler: Detect Magic

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If there's no background magic or anything, she can move along at thirty feet per round. If she has to pick things out, it'll be an average of around half that. Her Knowledge Arcana is good enough to pick out the school for 7th level and under without any trouble, or 14th CL for non-school things. If there's an CL checks vs. Nondetection type stuff, you can roll that secretly for me. Just the flat +6, no weird modifiers on it.