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Thread: Realm of the Dead
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2007-10-15, 05:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Chicago
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Hellstar
The conversation going on is distracting to Hellstar's efforts. Strangely enough, he can hear them perfectly despite the distance and bad acoustics in the cavern. This damned undead body ... he muses. Passing his hand along the wall rather absent-mindedly, he senses an almost non-existant vibration in the walls, and now that he notices it, faint sounds of ... a pitched battle?
He pauses in his search to address the group. "Perhaps our captors are currently fighting in that distant battle? That would explain why they aren't here to chaperone us. I suggest we find a way out and help in dispatching them." Without waiting for a response, he gets back to searching.
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2007-10-15, 05:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
Re: Realm of the Dead
A thorough search of the room doesn't reveal anything and battering down the rest of the doors only reveals more corpses in various stages of decomposition. The room appears to be sealed until you remember the faint sounds of combat coming from above. Quickly, you check the ceiling and find that at the very center of the room a rectangular patch of stone five feet wide and thirty long is of slightly different color than the rest of the chamber. Tiny runes form an inscription that follows the pattern of an elaborate magical diagram similar but not identical to those used for binding demons.
Spoiler
About time SB remembered the battle raging above.
Last edited by Belial_the_Leveler; 2007-10-15 at 05:06 PM.
If all you have is a hammer, don't be lazy; be a blacksmith and start making more stuff.
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2007-10-15, 05:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Realm of the Dead
Alaeth
Alaeth shakes her head dryly at the Kara-Turan man. "Did you listen to nothing I said?" she queries, half exasperated and half amused but not really expecting any answer. There are more important things to do, in any case, as one of the others points out.
Spotting the man on the ceiling looking over a slight inscription, Alaeth moves to the center of the room and murmurs a minor spell of Seeing, then pauses, frustrated. She had to be closer than that... Maybe she could be. She concentrates, and her form blurs, dissolving into a cold, black mist that begins to spread outwards. It drifts upwards until it is floating just under the circle, and hovers there, examining it.
SpoilerI'd forgotten about the sounds of battle; I guess Alaeth did too. A Search of +27 should be plenty to discover the circle if need be; Gaseous Form gets her up there. It's one of the better-known powers of a vampire, so she should know about it... Casting Detect Magic, and then Spellcraft to discern what the circle is for and how to work it: (1d20+19)[31]Avatar by GryffonDurime. Thanks!
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2007-10-15, 05:20 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- B5 and B6
Re: Realm of the Dead
Noj
Clenching his fist again with a *snap*
Noj turns his gaze towards the ceiling.
"Yes...Our creators..."
(Can the ceiling be reached from the floor?)If there's nothing out there, then what was that noise?
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2007-10-15, 05:22 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Location
- GMT
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Suzette
She spurns my help with all the narrow-sighted arrogance of an geriatric wizard who's never been outside of his tower, blasts out a door without knowing whether her sister is capable of getting out of the blast radius and all but attacks a man who is obviously still trying to get the better of his new violent urges. If anything here is "threatening the integrity of the group" it is her own hot-headedness. She may look like a queen, but she has all the social graces of a chipmunk.
Suzette is distracted from her train of thought when she notices the shadow creature dancing around Noj again. She moves closer and observes it eagerly.
"How do you do that Noj? Do you know why you have a shadow, when nothing else here does? Would you mind if I tried to touch it?"Last edited by Taffimai; 2007-10-15 at 05:23 PM. Reason: added colour to speech
78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
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2007-10-15, 05:28 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Chicago
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Hellstar
Frustrated by the lack of an obvious exit, Hellstar runs his hand through his hair. He doesn't get very far, though: it's caked with blood and dirt, and could use a serious cleaning. Leaning his head back to shake and rub it out, he notices the discoloration on the ceiling. "Oh."
Well, I've heard some interesting things about vampires ... let's see what this body can do. He puts his hand on the side wall between two doors, find a hand-hold, and plants a foot on a slight bend in the rock about two feet off the ground. He lifts himself up effortlessly. Taking a few tentative steps up the wall, he becomes fairly certain that he can crawl all the way up. Before continuing, he frees his left hand and swings his head and torso around, saying, "You would think that the necromancers would have thought of this." He drops down, and makes the arcane gestures for the Detect Magic spell. Hopping back onto the wall, he makes his way towards the runed piece of stone, and stops about 60 feet away, examining the object. Then, moving closer, he tries to look for some kind of opening or crack along the edge that he might exploit ...
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2007-10-15, 05:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- B5 and B6
Re: Realm of the Dead
Noj
Noj looks down to regard Suzette with a glowing yellow eye. He shakes his head, mutely.
The scarecrow head emerges from his shoulder again and grins at the damp woman, the black laces stitching its mouth criss-crossing the glow of its mouth.
"Everyone has a shadow," it says in Noj's voice, "But Noj is cursed, you see. Ha-ha. In fact, I'm Noj. He just won't admit it yet."
The mummified man growls and swings a dessicated fist at the scarecrow's face but goes right through it. The shadows twist and coil around his arm and flow up until the shadowy scarecrow springs from his hunched shoulders like a standard, bobbing and curling in an imaginary breeze.Last edited by The Great Skenardo; 2007-10-15 at 05:43 PM.
If there's nothing out there, then what was that noise?
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2007-10-15, 05:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Location
- on the coast
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Oathbreaker/'Jacob"
"Maybe if one of us could get up there" Oathbreaker starts what he thinks will be a futile attempt to climb only to realize that he is climbing the wall, and then the ceiling without any apparent effort. "woah!... YES!"Character Sheets:
SpoilerCharacter for The Arena Tournament (reseve): Oathbreaker TGH
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Bloatsack the Vile
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Pin
Character for The Grinder: Mr. Stabby
Arena Tournament Medals (courtesy of The_Chilli_God)
Arena Tournament. PvP. Forum Gaming. YES! GO!
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2007-10-15, 05:51 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
Re: Realm of the Dead
The sigil is an elaborate binding diagram turned outwards preventing the passage of creatures. Normally, such a diagram could be used to hedge off extraplanar creatures but this one has been altered to affect undead instead. What's more, at the center of the circle lies a simpler sigil, that of a keyhole and key. Known to most mages, that is the symbol for the hold portal spell. Persumably, the stone is a trapdoor of some sort and the symbol is holding it shut.
Neither Alaeth nor Hellstar can cross the barrier in either physical or gaseious form and Alaeth suspects the ghost-like characters won't be able to either. Hellstar realises his detect magic does not extend beyond the outer reaches of the barrier-it has been made to stop magic as well as attacks or physical entry. It is as if the presence of the sigil's creator is brushing them and their efforts aside without him being there at all.Last edited by Belial_the_Leveler; 2007-10-15 at 05:53 PM.
If all you have is a hammer, don't be lazy; be a blacksmith and start making more stuff.
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2007-10-15, 06:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Location
- GMT
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Suzette
It appears that we are all cursed in some way.
Slowly, as if anxious not to scare away a small animal, Suzette moves her hand in the area between Noj and his shadow to see whether it would be visible on her arm. Strangely, it isn't. Sensing that her overeager attention puts Noj in a gloomy mood, she tries to bring his mind back to other things.
I think I lost my family too when they captured me. Of course, I cannot know for sure, since my memory is blurry. I don't believe we should dwell too much on that question, though. If they are dead, then maybe we are destined to avenge them. If they are not, then our paths may cross again some day. The only way to find out is to move forward, though it appears there is a block on our road.
She looks at the presumed exit, thinking about a way they might get up there.78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
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2007-10-15, 06:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
Re: Realm of the Dead
Virmas
Frowning up at the sigil, Virmas starts digging through the body pile. "Wonder if there's anything usable in here that we could use to break that sigil..."
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2007-10-15, 07:10 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Realm of the Dead
Alaeth
The dark mist flows downwards more rapidly than it rose, reforming into Alaeth, who purses her lips in vexation as she stares upwards at the sigil. "Warded against our passage, and the door is magically locked as well. I suppose one of you could force it open, if we could bypass the circle... but such spells are usually impossible to violate if prepared correctly." She continues to frown upwards, then turns to Myriel. "Sister, could you bring the trapdoor down? Your magic cannot pass the circle, but you might be able to weaken the stone around it. Or simply blast a new way through." That might be faster.Avatar by GryffonDurime. Thanks!
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2007-10-15, 07:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- B5 and B6
Re: Realm of the Dead
Noj
Noj listens silently to Suzette's speech, and the shadow slowly withdraws once more. He wordlessly reaches a hand forward and squeezes her shoulder as he bows his head. After a moment's silence, he straightens up a bit more and jambles to where the others stand crowded about the sealed stone. Silently, he draws back his fist and lets fly at the stone, seeing if even his strangely-powerful hands have a chance of harming the surface.If there's nothing out there, then what was that noise?
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2007-10-15, 08:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
Re: Realm of the Dead
Virmas
After digging through the corpses again, Virmas again peers up at the sigil. "The whole ceiling isn't runed, is it?" Shifting to his non corporeal state, which is becoming decidedly easier, Virmas concentrates and rises up.
"Can I pass through the ceiling where the runes don't reach?" Virmas pushes up against the ceiling where it touches the walls, well away from the center of the room.
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2007-10-16, 12:37 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Location
- on the coast
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Oathbreaker/'Jacob'
Oathbreaker attempts to force his way through the barrier through shear force of will.
Charisma Check (1d20+4)[10]
"Solid air... magic... (grumble)" (pokes at barrier with 'club' fingers)
Edit: Thats my attempt for this 24 hour period...Last edited by Paladin Latham; 2007-10-16 at 12:43 AM.
Character Sheets:
SpoilerCharacter for The Arena Tournament (reseve): Oathbreaker TGH
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Bloatsack the Vile
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Pin
Character for The Grinder: Mr. Stabby
Arena Tournament Medals (courtesy of The_Chilli_God)
Arena Tournament. PvP. Forum Gaming. YES! GO!
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2007-10-16, 01:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Chicago
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Hellstar
Shaking his head in disappointment, Hellstar dismisses his spell and drops down from the ceiling, landing on all fours. "That's a hold portal spell. Magically fortified, looks like. We might be able to do something to it with dispel magic or knock, but I don't have those spells memorized. We could also try forcing it, but from the looks of it, it's a very heavy stone trapdoor with arcane magics on it -- it would be very difficult. May I suggest that us Magisters take a shot at breaking stone supporting the door instead? But first we should clear out of the way of any rubble which may fall."
The door is only five by thirty feat; logic would dictate that any hinges would be on a long side. Stepping back a good twenty feet, Hellstar begins launching eldritch blasts around the portal, hoping to find that hinge and bring the whole thing down.
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2007-10-16, 01:42 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Realm of the Dead
Alaeth
Alaeth gives both Oathbreaker and Hellstar amused glances; the one for ignoring what she'd said about being unable to pass the circle, the other for repeating more or less what she'd suggested. "I wonder if death has made their hearing worse?" she remarks idly to Myriel, moving back to stand well out of the way if the magister's blasts should bring the door down.
"Go ahead and try," she calls to Virmas as he tries to rise through the ceiling. "I doubt they were that careless, but if they were, the runes may not protect the other side of the trapdoor."Avatar by GryffonDurime. Thanks!
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2007-10-16, 02:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
Re: Realm of the Dead
Ethan
Ethan moved away from the center of the room, and then decided to leave the arcane casters to their business. He felt vulnerable without a weapon in his hands.Last edited by Revlis; 2007-10-16 at 02:11 AM.
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2007-10-16, 02:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Chicago
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Hellstar
Between blasts Hellstar walks over to Alaeth and whispers in her ear, "I hear you, you know. The first and the second time. But it's sometimes good for the ... more vigorous folk to hear a second opinion, don't you think?" He smiles sweetly at her and her twin, firing an eldritch blast with his off hand; despite their disgusting undead appearance, they were rather cute. Very cute, really, now that he looks at them. Why, if they weren't trapped underground ... Gah! What am I thinking! No, I must end this unlife before I become enamored with it!
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2007-10-16, 04:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Greece
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Myriel
Smiling at her sister the blond twin raises a hand towards the trapdoor.
Eldritch energies do not deal nearly as much damage on inanimate objects as they do on the living-or those creatures sustained through necromancy or transmutation. However, this shouldn't be a problem. I have been breaking down things with magic for decades.
Making repeated throwing motions and wispering an incantation again and again, Myriel employs the same sonic blasts she used on her sister's cell. She aims the blast not on the door itself but at the stone around it. Between attacks, she speaks at the other warlock.
I am not sure but I believe you are mistaken. If the trapdoor would merely open to allow access why would they make it five by thirty feet? If, on the other hand, it was some sort of retractable staircase, it would need to reach the ground at an angle. Thus the thirty-foot length. In case you didn't notice, the room is only twenty feet high. Also, we should probably be careful-demolishing the door completely or opening up a hole won't do-most probably not all of us can fly, turn gaseous or climb up walls.
IM IN UR WIZARD SCHOOL STABBIN UR HORCRUXES
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2007-10-16, 04:27 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Location
- GMT
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Suzette
"Virmas, did you happen to see anything we could use as a rope when you went through those bodies?"
While calling out to Virmas, Suzette walks towards the wall where Hellstar climbed up with such ease. She tentatively feels the stone, looking for any cracks that might give her toes and fingers some support. It takes her quite a while to make any progress, and when she does it is with far less elegance than he did.
SpoilerNot having spider climb, she takes 20 to climb up (total of 40) Let's see how far she can get.78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
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2007-10-16, 04:36 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Realm of the Dead
Alaeth
Alaeth bestows a smile on the man, curious, amused and approving all at the same time. It was flattering, but also felt slightly... condescending was not truly the right word, but the elf was clearly looking at someone much younger than her.
But when she speaks, it is to Myriel. "I know, sister. But I think that all we need to is break through the ceiling. Certainly, from that point onwards our options will be much greater. And..." Her black eyes are rather hard to read, but for an instant they seem to flash sadly. "I think..."
Abruptly, she seems to flash, as if the world blinked for a moment, and is replaced by a great raven, standing taller than any in the room. It half-spreads its wings before abruptly hunching; a completely black eye stares at Myriel for a moment before the raven shrinks back into Alaeth, looking slightly distraught. "My familiar..." She glances about as if expecting to find the raven somewhere in the room, but cannot.Avatar by GryffonDurime. Thanks!
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2007-10-16, 04:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Location
- on the coast
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Oathbreaker/'Jacob'
Oathbreaker ties a 'club' to his belt with the shredded scraps of his shirt. Walking up the wall to the struggling Suzette he smiles and offers his hand "A hand for the lady". If she does take his hand he will help her to the roof and support her in her efforts.
It costs nothing to help a maiden in need of aid.
Edit: Of course if this is some kind of butch prove yourself thing thats cool...Last edited by Paladin Latham; 2007-10-16 at 04:50 AM.
Character Sheets:
SpoilerCharacter for The Arena Tournament (reseve): Oathbreaker TGH
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Bloatsack the Vile
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Pin
Character for The Grinder: Mr. Stabby
Arena Tournament Medals (courtesy of The_Chilli_God)
Arena Tournament. PvP. Forum Gaming. YES! GO!
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2007-10-16, 04:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
Re: Realm of the Dead
'Jacob' fails to penetrate the barrier, recoiling from it. Further attemtps to penetrate it do not neet a rebuke but the barrier is as solid as iron. Jakob suspects he's lost his chance to pass through for the time being.
While Suzette slowly and carefully climbs up the chamber's stone wall, meetes the ceiling, and realises she can go no further, magic blasts at the door itself simply fail to cause any damage. Cracking the stone would break the circle and the magic of the warded object prevents that even indirectly. When the first blast falls on the stone around the door however, the door groans and loosens a quarter of an inch at one side. It is clear the hold portal rune keeps the door closed and locked-but it needs the surrounding stone to do so. Breaking the stone would open the door.
Unfortunately, the creators of the dungeon seem to have prepared for that. The pattern of runes flashes and fades in intensity a bit and suddenly black smoke seeps from the inside of the circle and into the room. The smoke was not there a moment before...
If all you have is a hammer, don't be lazy; be a blacksmith and start making more stuff.
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2007-10-16, 04:55 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Location
- on the coast
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Oathbreaker/'Jacob'
Provided that Suzette doesn't take my hand in favor of preparing for combat, I will do the same. I move down the wall to the floor drawing my stowed 'club' as part of the move.
Edit: Otherwise I will hold her close to comfort her.
SpoilerIf its necessary I will roll initiative, spot and listen:
Initiative (1d20+10)[18]
Spot (1d20+12)[14]
Listen (1d20+12)[20]Last edited by Paladin Latham; 2007-10-16 at 05:22 AM.
Character Sheets:
SpoilerCharacter for The Arena Tournament (reseve): Oathbreaker TGH
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Bloatsack the Vile
Character for The Arena Tournament (reserve): Pin
Character for The Grinder: Mr. Stabby
Arena Tournament Medals (courtesy of The_Chilli_God)
Arena Tournament. PvP. Forum Gaming. YES! GO!
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2007-10-16, 05:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
Re: Realm of the Dead
Alaeth
Alaeth clears her thoughts. I cannot feel him... my death would have broken the bond, but he is most likely dead. Her mourning must be put off as the door cracks open, and smoke begins to pour out.
She moves back, and chants in Elven, weaving the gestures for a spell. "Varna, ingóle ar vilya." That finished, she watches the spell carefully, trying to analyze what sort of magic this might be. Smoke, in and of itself, would not harm the dead... thus, it was either a side effect or was magic itself.
SpoilerCast Mage Armor. Spellcraft (1d20+17)[23] to tell what the smoke is.Avatar by GryffonDurime. Thanks!
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2007-10-16, 05:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
Re: Realm of the Dead
As the smoke oozes towards the ground, Alaeth realises that, though magical, it is not a spell. It is a creature reeking of necromantic energies in gaseous form, perhaps some sort of guardian responding to the attack on the door.
If all you have is a hammer, don't be lazy; be a blacksmith and start making more stuff.
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2007-10-16, 05:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Location
- GMT
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Suzette
Suzette gratefully accepts Jacob's offer to work together, and is slightly surprised when the appearance of the dark mist sends him off an into a combatative (sp?) stance. Reminiscent of Noj's shadow, she assumes it is the same type of creature, though larger, and calls out to it:
"Hello there! Have you found a way out of here?"78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
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2007-10-16, 06:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- Greece
- Gender
Re: Realm of the Dead
Myriel
Stopping her barrage and waiting to see what this new development will amount to, Myriel crosses her arms and readies herself for a fight-if that is a guardian, it will be needed.IM IN UR WIZARD SCHOOL STABBIN UR HORCRUXES
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2007-10-16, 07:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
Re: Realm of the Dead
Virmas
Virmas pauses from looking for a space in the ceiling to pass through and comes down, looking at the cloud oddly.