Megadungeon C (IC) II

[Bayar]

Matters

"By Urmaggrs rusted bolts, it's a beholder we should runnn- oh it's a trader. Ask what's it got in stock." Matters moves cautiously towards the beholder salesmination, sheathing her weapon as a sign of nonaggression.

[Malimar]

Central Caves

The beholder is about to reply in Undercommon, but then realizes it's hearing Common, and replies in Common instead: "Oh, you prefer Common? Can do Common. Most down here prefer Undercommon, is automatic. I have no harps, but I do have a harmonica." It points an eyestalk at a heap of stuff and a harmonica rises from the heap and floats in the air. "Lovely harmonica, only five golden coins!"

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

She was prepared to translate those questions, but then the Beholder could speak common!

It does not have a harp, but does have a harmonica. She nods her head. "It is lovely, but we really need a harp."

She considers, and asks, "Do you know how to get on the other side of the chasm? We would be willing to pay for that information. We can give you gold if you tell us how to do that. Say, 10 gold?"

[Xgya]

Doltan Mirobar

Still straying outside the room where the beholder dwells, Doltan nevertheless asks a question, loud enough to be heard.

"Are you aware of any giant tentacled undead living nearby? We were told to avoid it, and would rather know where not to go sooner than later."

[Bayar]

Matters

"Now that looks like a good harmonica ! I'll buy it off you. The templeforged fishes out 5 gold from a pouch. "Any other goods ? Weapon crystals ? Or do you have something really interesting ?"

[Malimar]

Central Caves

The beholder chortles at Dacianne's question, "Why, you fly across, of course! Easy, easy."

To Doltan, "I broker goods, not information. But since you're buying goods, information is free. Two or so rooms west of that north room you're coming from, you'll find the colossal undead tentacled monstrosity." (Which means the party has strayed pretty far south of where they want to be; if I recall, the Myconid Sovereign said the harp was pretty much due north of the colossal tentacled undead monstrosity.)

To Matters, "Sold!" The harmonica floats over to Matters, and the gold floats over to a piggy bank near the beholder and clinks itself in through the slot. "Everything you see is for sale!"

Pretty much every mundane good in the SRD is available for sale here (except animals, aside from a single rat in a small cage), and as Matters asks for weapon crystals and anything really interesting, the beholder chortles again and several crystals rise from the heaps. "Weapon augment crystals, certainly! Least truedeath crystal, least phoenix ash threat, lesser crystal of cold assault, greater crystal of return..." All for the standard listed prices. "Interesting, you say? Hmm... Most interesting thing in my collection is an ancient object, long-lost art, nobody I know of today knows how to craft such a thing: a plus one warhammer with not one but two augment crystal slots! Only 8,000 gold!" A slightly shiny warhammer rises from a pile of weapons; it does indeed appear to have one depression on either side of the hammer's head for crystals. (This item ignores the usual rule of only one augment crystal per weapon, and instead permits up to two (of Least or Lesser quality, as per the usual rules about augment crystals and +1 weapons).)

[Xgya]

Doltan Mirobar

The warrior looks at the hammer, lifts an eyebrow, but otherwise remains back near the door. Still, he continues questioning the aberration, looking obviously more interested.

"You look well stocked. Where do those goods come from exactly?

I know you said you wouldn't deal in information, but I might have one bit that might interest you, and you already gave us a precious bit for free. There is a goblin alchemist in a nearby town that does not seem to mind where his goods come from as long as he can slightly undercut his surrounding competitors. I mean, he sells potions infused with troll blood, that must count for something, right?

Should you want to expand your sales beyond these caves, he already set up shop, works legally even though his goods are of dubious provenance, and though the surrounding merchants have asked us to stop him from working, we have found no reason to do so yet, so that means even if he DOES do some illegal practice, he does so with care. If you want us to tell him about you as we have told you about him, I would not mind doing so on the way back home. I cannot say for sure he'd accept, but even if he does not, neither of you lose anything in the process."

The warrior thinks back and asks yet another question.

"Speaking of magical wares, how exactly do you know which is which? Do you have some way of identifying magical wares? Is it a service you would be willing to provide for a fee?"

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

She giggles at the beholder's answer."I dont have wings, unfortunately. Or float very well. I fall very well, though"

The beholder is friendly, and pretty nice! She smiles at it, finding this person to be a lovely creature.

Doltan's statements are very interesting. Why not befriend it? It's a good plan.

However, the answer of the tentacle-monster has her pondering. "Across the chasm, we need to get across... hmm... perhaps some rope and a grappling hook? What does everyone think? We're pretty close."

[Bayar]

Matters

"Now that is interesting. Would buy it in a flash if I had the funds available." At dacianne suggestions, Matters adds: "Or two ladders tied and/or glued together.

Studying the harmonica and turning it around, the marshall can't help but wonder if her creators built her with the ability to exhale air in such a way as to be able to use something like this instrument. Tentatively, she places it against her mouth and tries to use it.

[Malimar]

Central Caves

The beholder answers some of Doltan's questions, "All sorts of folk sell stuff down here, thriving, great place for a trade post! People bring goods, I buy with coin, people bring coin, I sell goods. CAPITALISM."

"Certainly, tell this goblin of my presence, I don't have much stock in terms of potions, could open up a whole new niche!"

"Oh, certainly I identify things, got a crazy fleshgrafter to upgrade one of my eyestalks to an identify eye!" The beholder wiggles one of its eyestalks, and indeed it doesn't quite match the others. "55 gold per identification!" That's a good deal, the usual price is 110gp (casters who don't need to have the expensive material component often undercut those who do).


In reply to Dacianne, a grappling hook floats up out of a heap. "One gold!" There's some rope that the beholder gives the standard price for, too, but I remind you that you all started with an adventurer's kit that included, among other things, 50' hempen rope. Also available: two 10' ladders for five copper each.


Do warforged have lungs? I... don't believe so? Some are specially modified with float bladders that they can use to expel air from, but Matters is not so modified. (Warforged speech is presumably synthesized magically and doesn't involve the movement of air over vocal cords?) So I think Matters sadly fails to activate the harmonica. (I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong if the books say so anywhere.)

[Xgya]

Doltan Mirobar

Doltan fetches some items from his pouch, along with two 100gp bank notes and an extra 20gp from the pouch he uses to carry party funds.

Then, he gets the black cloak (item #1), shiny black ring (item #2) and fetches for whomever was carrying the magical staff (item #6).

"These three items need your care. Along with Matters' new shield, that makes for 4 identified items, so, 220 gp. If you do not take Blue Dragon bank notes, I have enough gold pieces to do the transaction this way too."

[Bayar]

Matters

"Hmmm, this might take a while." As Doltan offers some of their possessions to be identified, Matters joins in with her shield and a wand that were found together (#92 and #93). "That makes it 285 ? I'll pitch in if the party funds are not enough."

[Malimar]

Central Caves

"275. But I'll take 285 if that's what you want to give me! Blue Dragon Bank notes are fine." Subtracting 275gp from party funds, leaving it at 408gp, 6sp.

As the party sits down for lunch and a brief nap, the beholder fixes his identification eye upon each item in turn. (It's not an Artificer's Monocle or anything, it's just identify as an SLA, so it still takes 5 hours to do all five.)

Item #1, the shiny black cloak, is a cloak of resistance +1.

Item #2, the black glass ring, is a ring of protection +1.

Item #6, the staff of locust wood, is a staff of swarming insects with 11 charges.

Item #92, the shiny-like-new heavy steel shield studded with crystals, is a +2 psionic heavy steel shield ("psionic" in this context just means it's powered by psionic power instead of regular magical power, it's no different from a +2 magic heavy steel shield).

Item #93 is a wand of silence with 25 charges.

[LoyalPaladin]

Cerise dei Liberi

Cerise has little to say to the beholder. She has nothing against it, but her funds must be saved until she can afford something of greater value. She spends the five hours polishing her equipment and cleaning her boots.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Item #2, the black glass ring, is a ring of protection +1.

The AC stacking elf would like this, if no one has laid claim to it...

[Xgya]

Doltan Mirobar

Doltan looks happy the unknown items are now identified. At this point, his distrust for the aberration has gone down a notch and he has decided to at least get into the room, even though he remains near the door.

"Your services are quite reliable. I'll make sure to tell the haemogoblin about your shop and your wares.
You own and take care of quite a few interesting trinkets definitely worth seeing.
Thank you very much for your time, expertise and salesmanship. You sure know how to have your customers want to come back for repeat business.

As for what we just identified...
If I may, I would like to keep the cloak for now. I am more than ready to pay for its sale price out of my share of the spoils once we get out of here.
Matters can of course keep the shield. She's been using it proficiently so far. Cerise has been eyeing the ring, and I won't mind her having a trophy to call her own.
As for the staff, Tariq should be able to use it, and the spells within might serve as a form of trump card - such as if we eventually find out we NEED to bypass entities far stronger than we normally would be able to. Of course, it being a charged item of considerable power, we should all be in agreement when it should be used or not. Because the item's use remains a group decision, its price, of course, shouldn't be deducted from his share.
I don't see much of a use for silencing people, but the only person within our group that could use it should the need arise is Dacianne, so she can keep it attached to her belt for now, though we'll probably end up selling it later on.

Anyone disagreeing with my reasoning is welcome to do so here. This is all magic and I'm not that skilled at dealing with such."

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

She chips in to help get the items identified if need be.

But, she also hangs out with Cerise, since she's saving her funds. She will chitchat with her about the circus, barking, and other silly things in hopes of entertaining herself and anyone else that is willing to listen.

Remembering that she has rope, she starts playing with it and doing some minor rope tricks, or at least practice throwing it a bit.

Doltan's summation seems sound, and she doesn't complain and will take the wand.

[LoyalPaladin]

Cerise dei Liberi

The elven duelist happily takes the ring. "Je vous remercie." She smiles.

Spoiler: Elven

Show

Do I really need to translate this one?

[Bayar]

Matters

"It is a nice shield. Probably worth a pretty penny too. So, should we go back to the chasm and try to jump it ? Buy a couple of ladders and fashion a bridgelike device ?"

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

She did buy two grappling hooks. She just forgot to mention it.

She would nod her head. "You're right, Matters. I think we head on over to the chasm. Shouldn't be too hard to toss some rope and get it across."

But, she doesn't want to go without anyone else, or first, so she waits on them to start moving.

[Xgya]

Doltan

Doltan prepares to leave, but still manages to ask one final question before he does so.

"What do you know of the grell living in these parts? Are they belligerent, will they attack if we approach them? Can they communicate in any way? Do you have any item for sale that would allow us to negotiate with them should the need arise?"

Whether the Beholder gives information or not, Doltan leaves after this conversation, ready to head back north towards the chasm.

[Malimar]

Central Caves

The beholder considers. "The grell occasionally buy from me, though they speak only their own language. I have some Pearls of Speech, but they're not keyed to the grell language, so not helpful."

Then the party returns northwards!

It turns out that in the five hours of down-time, the grell have wandered off from where they were.

With the grappling hooks, the party is prepared to cross the chasm!

Spoiler: Map

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                 #####
                  ≈≈▼#
                  #≈▼#
                 ##▼▼##
                 #▼▼▼▼#
                 #▼▼▼▼###########################
              #####▼▼▼▼##......back to Stank Cave
              #...#▼▼▼▼##.#######################
                #.#▼▼▼###.#
                #..▼▼▼..LN#
                ###▼▼####T###
                #..▼▼...MC..#
         ##########▼▼######.#
         #>>......#▼▼#    #.#
         #>>......#▼#######|#
         #........#▼#.......#
         #........###.......#
         #..▄....*|.........#
         ###|######.......#|#
                #.........#.#
                #.Ω.......#.#
                #.........#.#
            #######.......#.#
            #---# #.......#.#
    ##╪#### #---###.Ω.#.Ω.#.#
    #.....# #-----#...#...#.#
  #|#.....#|###---#########.#
  #.........# #-----....$...#
  #.........###-----....##|##
  |.....................#...#
###.........#...........|.∩.#
#...........#...........#...#
#.o.#.......#...........#####
#...#,,,,,..#...#.....###
######%%%####...#.....#
            ###|#╪#####
            #+..#
            #...###
            #.....#
            #.....#
            #.....╪
            #....~#####
            ╪..~..+....
            #...Θ...#.
            ╪..~~ω.+#
            ╪......~#
            ###.++.~#
              #######

# = worked stone wall
% = partially collapsed wall
. = worked stone floor
, = rubble (difficult terrain)
- = 5' raised worked stone floor
╪ = closed, locked, or jammed iron door
$ = secret door
| = open, broken, or slightly ajar iron door
Ω = statue
> = spiral staircase down
▄ = spiked pit
∩ = archway
o = hole in ceiling
+ = crate
~ = miscellany of goods and art objects
ω = well
* = defeated foe

T = Taric
M = Matters
N = Dacianne
C = Cerise
L = Doltan
Θ = beholder

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

Back to the chasm, she has her grappling hook, the rope, and is ready.

After securing the grappling hook to the rope, she prepares and slings it over.

"Okay, well... I hope no one is afraid of heights. Or death."

[Malimar]

Central Caves

Dacianne chucks the grappling hook with rope across the chasm at the northern of the two passageways (because the southern appears to end in blank wall), gives it a few yanks, affixes it to this side, and then sends somebody across... TO THEIR DOOM.

Except not to their doom, because the rope holds and everybody gets across safely.

For successfully defeating the chasm, the party gains 120xp each!

They check around the corner, where they find an ajar door! (Not only is this door ajar, but it appears to be even more badly-rusted than some of the others, with a couple holes rusted right all the way through it.)

Beyond the ajar door: a small room dominated by a pillar that is dripping with juices! And two bug-like creatures with propellers for tails and long moth-like antennae!



Matters recognizes these creatures as rust monsters! True to their names, these creatures feed on metal, rusting it with a touch! They chitter and squeak and look hungrily at the party!

Spoiler: Map

Show

                 #####
                  ≈≈▼#
                  #≈▼#
                 ##▼▼##
                 #▼▼▼▼#
                 #▼▼▼▼###########################
              #####▼▼▼▼##......back to Stank Cave
              #LMC#▼▼▼▼##.#######################
            #╪#|#N#▼▼▼###.#
            #...#T.+++....#
            #r#.###▼▼####.###
            |..r#..▼▼.......#
         ##########▼▼######.#
         #>>......#▼▼#    #.#
         #>>......#▼#######|#
         #........#▼#.......#
         #........###.......#
         #..▄....*|.........#
         ###|######.......#|#
                #.........#.#
                #.Ω.......#.#
                #.........#.#
            #######.......#.#
            #---# #.......#.#
    ##╪#### #---###.Ω.#.Ω.#.#
    #.....# #-----#...#...#.#
  #|#.....#|###---#########.#
  #.........# #-----....$...#
  #.........###-----....##|##
  |.....................#...#
###.........#...........|.∩.#
#...........#...........#...#
#.o.#.......#...........#####
#...#,,,,,..#...#.....###
######%%%####...#.....#
            ###|#╪#####

# = worked stone wall
% = partially collapsed wall
. = worked stone floor
, = rubble (difficult terrain)
- = 5' raised worked stone floor
╪ = closed, locked, or jammed iron door
$ = secret door
| = open, broken, or slightly ajar iron door
Ω = statue
> = spiral staircase down
▄ = spiked pit
∩ = archway
o = hole in ceiling
▼ = bottomless chasm
≈ = waterfall into chasm
+ = rope over chasm
* = defeated foe

T = Taric
M = Matters
N = Dacianne
C = Cerise
L = Doltan
r = rust monster

[Bayar]

Matters

"Urmaggr **** me to death from powerloss." Making sure the katana is secured in it's sheath, she draws the greataxe morningstar."Kill them with extreme prejudice, do not let them escape." Moving through the cramped corridor, Matters tries to butcher one of the rust monsters.

Spoiler

Show

Attack:(1d20-3)[8]
Damage: (1d8+2)[7]

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

Well, Matters certainly summed up her feeling once the creatures they see are explained. She shakes her head, not liking this one bit. They are early adventurers, with little gold to spare and here are rust monsters of the worst kind. On top of that, and more important than that, one of their friends was metal!

Not good at all.

She aims at the one Matters is not charging at. Since, not wanting to fire in to combat and all that.

Spoiler

Show

shot: (1d20+6)[15]
damage: (1d8)[6]

[LoyalPaladin]

Cerise dei Liberi

"Protect your metals!" She grimaces, thinking to her own blade.

Spoiler: Battle Actions

Show

Actions
Full-Round: None
Immediate: None
Move: Keep maximum distance.
Standard: Shoot with crossbow
Swift: None

Standard Attack (Ranged)
Attack One (Shortbow)
Attack
(1d20+6)[16]
Damage
(1d8)[6] (Piercing)

Critical Confirm (-/x3)
Attack
(1d20+6)[8]
Damage
(1d8)[7] (Piercing)

[Xgya]

Doltan

"I know we usually ask you to go in first, but that will have to change for this particular fight Matters. I'd rather not lose my armor, but I'm not too attached to the thing.

Having been warned not to hit the monsters with a metallic weapon, he tosses his greatsword behind the party and charges with a javelin.

Take them out one at a time!"

Spoiler: Combat Actions

Show

My stance is still Iron Guard's Glare.
Move: To the nearest rustie.
Standard:Leading the Attack (+4 on attacks by allies for the next round if it hits)

Attack: (1d20+8)[22]
Damage: (1d6+4)[7]

Crit:(1d20+8)[20]
Damage: (2d6+4)[14]

[Malimar]

Central Caves

Doltan draws a javelin and moves up and stabs at the eastern rust monster! He strikes it for great justice, (everyone else gets +4 to hit this creature for one round), and the metal head of the javelin rusts when it comes in contact with the creature! The javelin (already counting as improvised when used as a melee weapon) is now an improvised quarterstaff. Which is... actually a very slight upgrade, because now he could use it as a double weapon if he so desired.


The east rust monster reaches out with its mothy antennae and tries to brush at Doltan's chain shirt! But it misses! It also tries to bite him, because it resents being stabbed, and... successfully bites him on the thigh! Doltan takes 1 damage! Doltan absorbs the damage with his DR!


Cerise moves to be able to see the thing, and shoots at it with her crossbow! The penalty for shooting into melee is counteracted by Doltan's Leading The Attack, but her bolt still clatters harmlessly off the creature's carapace.


The other rust monster moves up to... Matters! Delicious Matters, mostly metal! On the way, it takes an attack of opportunity from Doltan. But his stick also bounces off its tough carapace. The rust monster reaches out with its antennae at Matters, and... touches her! Matters takes 8 damage as some of her iron plating ablates!


Dacianne moves up into uncomfortably close quarters so she can see one of them, and shoots at the rust monster! But it ducks under the attack!


Matters bludgeons at the rust monster with her morningstar! She doesn't take the penalty from it not having attacked her, being as it has indeed attacked her, but her weapon still does not penetrate its tough hide (luckily, this means the weapon does not rust away into nothing).

Spoiler: Map

Show

                 #####
                  ≈≈▼#
                  #≈▼#
                 ##▼▼##
                 #▼▼▼▼#
                 #▼▼▼▼###########################
              #####▼▼▼▼##......back to Stank Cave
              #CMN#▼▼▼▼##.#######################
            #╪#r#.#▼▼▼###.#
            #...#T.+++....#
            #.#L###▼▼####.###
            |..r#..▼▼.......#
         ##########▼▼######.#
         #>>......#▼▼#    #.#
         #>>......#▼#######|#
         #........#▼#.......#
         #........###.......#
         #..▄....*|.........#
         ###|######.......#|#
                #.........#.#
                #.Ω.......#.#
                #.........#.#
            #######.......#.#
            #---# #.......#.#
    ##╪#### #---###.Ω.#.Ω.#.#
    #.....# #-----#...#...#.#
  #|#.....#|###---#########.#
  #.........# #-----....$...#
  #.........###-----....##|##
  |.....................#...#
###.........#...........|.∩.#
#...........#...........#...#
#.o.#.......#...........#####
#...#,,,,,..#...#.....###
######%%%####...#.....#
            ###|#╪#####

# = worked stone wall
% = partially collapsed wall
. = worked stone floor
, = rubble (difficult terrain)
- = 5' raised worked stone floor
╪ = closed, locked, or jammed iron door
$ = secret door
| = open, broken, or slightly ajar iron door
Ω = statue
> = spiral staircase down
▄ = spiked pit
∩ = archway
o = hole in ceiling
▼ = bottomless chasm
≈ = waterfall into chasm
+ = rope over chasm
* = defeated foe

T = Taric
M = Matters
N = Dacianne
C = Cerise
L = Doltan
r = rust monster

[repairmanjack]

Dacianne

Close quarters, little chance for success, creatures that can eat her robot friend? How rude!

"Stank cave is the worst! It smells, things try to eat us, Matters is being nibbled on. I suggest we get the harp, cram it somewhere rude and never come back here."

But first... firing at the beast, and hoping she does not hit a friend.

Spoiler

Show

shot: (1d20+10)[19]
damage: (1d8)[7]

[Xgya]

Doltan

"Hah! You couldn't dent me if you tried! You'll have to pay for what you did to my 'forged friend though!"

Saying this, he moves towards the northernmost rust monster, hacking away with his new (if somewhat thin) quarterstaff.

Spoiler: Combat

Show

5ft step north.
Mountain Hammer at the beastie.

Attack:(1d20+4)[17]
Damage: (3d6+3)[12]

Crit:(1d20+4)[24]
Damage: (1d6+3)[7]

Mal, I don't think those rusties bypass Lawful DR (of which Doltan now has 4), so was he hit for 5? Normally, you'd mention DR blocking damage...

Edit: STILL using Iron Guards Glare, so that rustie has -4 on attacks against Matters.