[D&D 5E] Tomb of Horrors IC

[zingbobco000]

I, ACERERAK THE ETERNAL, BECKON YOU TO YOUR DOOM. COME, FOOLISH ONES, SAVE YOUR LORD, IF YOU DARE! OTHERS HAVE TRIED. ALL HAVE FAILED! FROM YOUR SKIN, TAPESTRIES SHALL BE WOVEN, AND YOUR BONES WILL CARPET MY TOMB. ONLY I AM BEYOND DEATH'S REACH. ONLY I KNOW THE SECRET TO TRUE IMMORTALITY! YOUR LORD, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOES NOT... YOU HAVE 24 HOURS.

That was what you received when you found yourselves in quite the perdicament. Lareal Silverhand, the open lord of Waterdeep, has been captured by a monstrosity so terrible that nobody could truly describe it, for all who were accompanying her heard a sound of pure terror as they were found dying, while Lareal has vanished. You were the greatest heroes in the land not off defeating demigods and were called to the council of Waterdeep to head to the location where Lareal is. For along with the epitaph, a map was presented, a single location in the Serpant Hills was marked, the best mages immediately teleported all twelve of you there, and it is now (tense shift) that you see... A low, flat-topped hill, about 200 yards wide and 300 yards long, protrudes from the earth. Ugly weeds, thorns, and briars grow upon the steep sides and bald top of the 60-foot-high mound. Black rocks crown the hilltop, the bottoms of which, are out of your view. As you get your bearings you seem to have arrived on the eastern side of the hill.

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The current initiative order is (though anyone may post):
Garn 4
Kosef 3+
Rorik 3-
Jim 2

Spoiler: Couple things on Time (READ IT'S IMPORTANT):

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Talking is a completely free action, and takes no time, so feel free to debate what you want to do (also feel free to talk on the Roll20 as well). Looking at a certain area takes 1 minute / thing you're doing i.e. searching floor, cieling, wall/s (hence why you need to be careful, not EVERYTHING will be trapped, you just have to think about what WOULD be trapped), someone can aid you in this check alternatively they can check something else during the minute-long search. Hence why we're in initiative, that way people don't get too far ahead of everyone else. Also remember that movement is movement. After every combat, in addition to combat time being spent you take five minutes simply recovering yourself and gaining your bearings, re-polishing your swords, setting up your wards, etc... nothing else can be done during this time.

eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds remain...

[Frendle]

Rorik blinks and squints his eyes as the light changes from the subdued levels in the council chamber to the bright of day. He is himself capable of casting powerful spells, but yet, traveling by magic was always jarring,

He takes stock of the surroundings, “Well, if I were an entrance to an evil place, I would be that pile of rocks yonder.” He indicates the black rocks toward the west at the center of the hilltop.

He looks at the other Heroes around him, each formidable, and each up to this task..... if they can work together. "Someone ought to lead the way over there, not much use in my doing it." Rorik indicates the brambles surrounding them, "I can't see over this stuff as well as some."

[Airatome1]

"Someone ought to lead the way over there, not much use in my doing it."

...was how Jim found himself leading the group of adventurers up the eastern side of the hill. He was no leader, not really, but when he put his mind to something? Things got accomplished no matter the obstacles. Add to that his affinity for coming to the defense of those who required it, and Jim was easily prepared to point them in a direction and lead them to it.

"We need to find a way inside this accursed tomb that this 'Acererak' has stolen away with Lady Larael into. Time is not our friend and the lady of Waterdeep is in danger. Let us reach the top of this hill and see what awaits us. Those black rocks, as Rorik points out, seems as good a place to look as any."

Spoiler: Ugghhhh

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Post was MUCH more thought out and beefy....but then I was closing all my extra tabs and closed this one by mistake.....all my work lost. I tried to paraphrase as best as I could remember.....but if anyone else has lost a post they had almost finished like I did (and you know you have) , then you'll know they NEVER come out the same way or as good the second time -_-; FML

[zingbobco000]

Rorik and Jim begin to make the journey up the 60 ft-tall hill. What shall Garn and Kosef do?

[thedanster7000]

Garn trudges silently along. He enjoys puzzles, but this trek was tedious, and he wasn't overly enthusiastic about this search. He nods at Rorik, "Could be," before starting towards it, pleased that they might find it already.

[Arenabait]

Kosef follows them, an uneasy look on his face. He contemplates for a moment before jogging up to Jim. He walks beside him silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I don't like the look of this, it seems too obvious. No Demilich in their right mind would have the entrance to their super-secret spooky crypt be this easy to spot."

[Airatome1]

"I don't like the look of this, it seems too obvious. No Demilich in their right mind would have the entrance to their super-secret spooky crypt be this easy to spot."

"That, my sorcerous friend, is precisely why we are scouting and not plunging straight in.....wherever 'in' might be...Truth is, if Acererak is really so powerful as to be bold enough to invite us to his tomb and provide a map....he is not worried about us getting in. He wants us to get in. The entrance could be as simple as it could be difficult to find."

Jim could see his words were not as inspiring as he thought on the sorcerer. So he took a breath and tried again.

"With your magic and the priest to back us, and Garn and myself baring the brunt of what this Demilich has to throw at us...the Lady of Waterdeep will ours in no time. We will tread carefully, for I like the feel of this no more than you do. It is assuredly a trap, but we know it's one. We will be ready."

[Arenabait]

"Well, that's reassuring. As long as we're careful about it, I'm willing to go. I'm still not comfortable with it, but willing." Kosef says. After finishing, he falls back with the rest of the party, leaving Jim to lead.

[thedanster7000]

"Me too. Let's get this over with," Garn scowls, drawing his sword and readying himself.

[zingbobco000]

You cautiously climb up the side of the hill, cutting down the interposing briars and thorns. As you get to the top you see quite clearly that the rocks have been arranged in some kind of... pattern? Some are close while others are far apart. You get a much better perspective compared to ground level though, and momentarily think about what it might look like from other perspectives...

Spoiler: Garn Dobev:

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Maybe a word? A number? A direction? It's too hard to extrapolate at this point, the rocks are just too large.

Spoiler: Jim Dirkell:

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Why... those rocks seem to form a triangle... and the rocks below it... a semicircle? Maybe it's a backwards and forwards C? Wait... by the gods... it's a skull! A grinning death's head has been formed using the rocks themselves.



You also notice that (if you're looking at the picture), you're on the left side

Spoiler: Kosef Marsk:

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Why... those rocks seem to form a triangle... and the rocks below it... a semicircle? Maybe it's a backwards and forwards C? Wait... by the gods... it's a skull! A grinning death's head has been formed using the rocks themselves.



You also notice that (if you're looking at the picture), you're on the left side.

Spoiler: Rorik Ironseeker:

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Why... those rocks seem to form a triangle... and the rocks below it... a semicircle? Maybe it's a backwards and forwards C? Wait... by the gods... it's a skull! A grinning death's head has been formed using the rocks themselves.



You also notice that (if you're looking at the picture), you're on the left side.

However, no entrances are visible from this vantage point.
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The current initiative order is (though anyone may post):
Garn 4
Kosef 3+
Rorik 3-
Jim 2

eighty-five thousand, three hundred, eighty-six seconds remain...

[thedanster7000]

Garn joins the others and asks where they should investigate next.

[Arenabait]

Kosef Speaks up: "Perhaps we should look for an entrance? Unless it's hidden underneath some rocks, this doesn't seem to be getting us anywhere."