Iron Crisis Pt3 IC

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep Initially suspecting the book to be a hidden switch, Sam finds it much more concerning. The equivalent to an artifact dagger hidden under one's pillow, tucked into a hidden compartment within the pages. Still wearing a stern expression, he tucks the deadly page into his pack, not trusting to leave it in the hands of this paranoid madman. More worrying is the thought that he might have more. And the instinctive tingle on his tongue. The other scroll hidden within could well be useful to their investigation, and Sam lingers with it in his hand. Taking it would not be a necessity to protect others, so he struggles to find justification in taking it. Instead, he sets it back in the book and returns it to the shelf. If someone else chooses to take it, that is their choice, he reasons. "A dangerous and concerning spell scroll contained within. The Power Word of killing, a tool with murder in its purpose. We should be concerned that it may not be the wizard's only such scoll," he announces. "I will confiscate it for now, to see it destroyed later." It's not even a part of his disguise. Sam feels as repulsed by the page's promise of total violence as he is tempted by it. "Few counters to such a spell," the imp's invisible voice speaks. "One would need to ensure he could not speak it." Spoiler: Actions Show Take Power Word Kill. It is too dangerous to leave unattended. Leave Unspoken Name. Stealing is wrong.

[Archmage1]

Grok Dwarf Paladin 8 AC: 20 HP: 86/86 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 HD: 8/8d10, Conditions: Branded Grok shakes his head as Sam moves to take a scroll. "We're not here to steal. We're here to retrieve the pearls."

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep "I have no interest in having the scroll, it will be destroyed. A blatant tool of murder cannot be left in the hands of a mad wizard," Sam counters back at Grok. "So not theft, just vandalism," Grepha comments aside.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 19 HP: 56/56 Spells: 1st: 3/4 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 1/3 4th: 1/2, Turn Undead: 2/2, Short Rests: 2/2 (+d8) Harness Divine Power 2/2, 2nd Conditions: Con reduced to 13 Half annoyed, half in wonder about the runic magic at play here, Senna tries to scrub at her theft rune and is unable to remove it. She silently watches the exchange before chiming in. Well, this is not a spell we would want to have used against us. But see the potential. As much as it pains me, we have gotten our hands dirty already. And this scroll is a very clean kill on a target that could otherwise become very messy indeed. Senna grabs the other scroll and skims it. Similarly, mere knowledge of this divination could help me replicate the spell. I assume the spells are linked anyway. If you utter the word to kill someone, Ragefast instantly knows where you are. Though that is mere speculation. But speaking of the door. We cannot expend our precious little magic to break Ragefast's ward one by one. We should look for a way to circumvent them.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep "I think it more likely that he plans to kill anyone he suspects of scheming against his nymph," glancing at Senna picking the other scroll out of the book, Sam frowns but doesn't object. "We are not here to murder," he states firmly, at any notion of using the scroll. "Just bear in mind the option." He doesn't respond to Grepha's statement. "Solving the puzzle with the table doesn't really help when I already triggered the trap," Sam points out as Grok and Senna muck about in the previous room. He points at the next door, through the study. "I'm not opening the next one though. I already got bruises from those flying cloaks."

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 19 HP: 56/56 Spells: 1st: 2/4 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 1/3 4th: 1/2, Turn Undead: 2/2, Short Rests: 2/2 (+d8) Harness Divine Power 2/2, 2nd Conditions: Con reduced to 13, Concentration Detect Magic Just remember, if its us vs them, I prefer us to live, Sam. Senna says and advances further into Ragefast's domain. She takes a small pause to reiterate her magical divination however so she does not enter glaringly obvious magical traps.

[Bobthewizard]

Leaf Tabaxi Rogue 8 AC: 17 HP: (55)/(55) 63 PP: 18 PIv: 15 PIs: 14 HD: 8/8d8 Restrain: 3/3 Dawn Conditions: slimy doom -1 CON

Aergid Silver Dragon Wyrmling AC 17, HP DEAD /45 PP: 14 PIv: 11 PIs: 12 Bite +6 1d10+4 Breath 15' cone 4d8 DC13 Con Recharge 5-6 Paralyzing 15' cone DC13 Con paralyzed 1 minute DEAD!!!!!

Leaf takes two of the more tawdry-looking books and puts them in his backpack. He's sure Ragefest won't even notice, and he loves this easy-reading fiction. Plus it helps him understand human women better.

Then he gets back to business, doing his part to look for any traps or clues.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Investigation (1d20+5)[18]

Spoiler: notes

Show

Commander Scar, Flaming Fist
Dabron Sashenstar, Merchant's League
Ragefest, wizard
Abela, nymph
Ramazith, wizard that Ragefest doesn't trust.
Aldeth Sashenstar, Dabron's brother
Halbazzar Drin, owner of Sorcerous Sundries
Vivian/Ninian, sister to the others
Lieutenant Angelo Dosan, jerk Flaming Fist
Bounties

[Amnestic]

The next door proves itself to be locked, though thankfully not trapped, and after a minute or so of teasing the tumblers Leif is able to crack it open into a hallway, lit by dimmed Continual Flame torches. To your right the hallways leads to a dead end and curved wall, that your mental map tells you returns to the cloakroom. To your left it extends around to another closed door, or splits off to a set of stairs that climb up to the next level - presumably the same level as the dispelled window sits on.

[Archmage1]

Grok Dwarf Paladin 8 AC: 20 HP: 86/86 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 HD: 8/8d10, Conditions: Branded Grok's frown deepens at Sam's and Senna's exchange, but remains silent, a tacit agreement to their plan. As the small convoy heads through the narrow hallways, and reaches both the maybe door back to the cloakroom, and the other door, he frowns, before looking back at Leaf and Senna. "Do you see any magic or traps?"

[Bobthewizard]

Leaf Tabaxi Rogue 8 AC: 17 HP: (55)/(55) 63 PP: 18 PIv: 15 PIs: 14 HD: 8/8d8 Restrain: 3/3 Dawn Conditions: slimy doom -1 CON

Aergid Silver Dragon Wyrmling AC 17, HP DEAD /45 PP: 14 PIv: 11 PIs: 12 Bite +6 1d10+4 Breath 15' cone 4d8 DC13 Con Recharge 5-6 Paralyzing 15' cone DC13 Con paralyzed 1 minute DEAD!!!!!

Leaf continues to keep his eye out for traps. He looks to the stairs and then to the others.

"I would think he'd keep Abela upstairs. If she's even here."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Investigation (1d20+5)[7]

Spoiler: notes

Show

Commander Scar, Flaming Fist
Dabron Sashenstar, Merchant's League
Ragefest, wizard
Abela, nymph
Ramazith, wizard that Ragefest doesn't trust.
Aldeth Sashenstar, Dabron's brother
Halbazzar Drin, owner of Sorcerous Sundries
Vivian/Ninian, sister to the others
Lieutenant Angelo Dosan, jerk Flaming Fist
Bounties

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep The deeper they go into the keep, watching his siblings and companions loot the man's body and plot his demise, the more Sam thinks it was a mistake to come here. Yet there's no way he could just leave this Abela trapped and abducted. The right thing here is hardly clear at all, yet he knows that they're making constant mistakes. "The constant destruction of property, graffiti, and theft is doing little to build yourselves a case here," he advises the others. It's all leaving trails for the Fist to follow. Ragefast may be mad and his actions abhorrent, but the corrupt laws are on his side. "You may soon find yourselves on the wrong end of the Fist if you keep going this way." "I tend to agree. With this sentiment, and with Leaf's," Grepha comments.

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 59/59 PP: 18 PIv: 10 PIs: 18 Conditions: Concentrating on: 8 / 8 d8 HD Spell Slots- 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 2/3 3rd, 2/2 4th 1/2 Wildshape Caelyn cursed internally. "I agree as well. We should do a quick search, and if nothing turns up we should leave before the Fist shows up. I doubt we've earned enough good will from them to avoid incarceration for something like this." Then she cursed outwardly. "#&*@"

[Amnestic]

You opt to take the stairs rather than the rest of the ground floor. The wood gives not a single creak beneath your footsteps, regardless of whether you're a lightfooted tabaxi or a heavily armoured dwarf. The stairs turn abruptly at a corner, rising up into the second floor which opens onto a wide room that you could swear is far too large for how it should be from the outside. This, it seems likely, is the wizard's lab, office, library, and general place of work. It's segmented into four. One section with desks for writing and bottles of wine, one for his bookshelves and reading tables, one for relaxation on long, comfortable looking sofas, and one that looks like it may serve as a zoo, containing three displays - a giant snake, a giant ocotopus, and a third which seems to have been broken and shattered, given the glass on the floor and the not-yet-cleaned bloodstains.

The centre of the room is dominated by a magic circle within which a large gleaming blue-white crystal is being relentlessly subjected to seemingly endless blasts of lightning (or perhaps it is the reverse, and the lightning emerges from the crystal?), though to what end you couldn't say. What lies before you is a magic not of use to adventurers, something permanent, for those who have set down roots. Scattered around the magic circle, resting on pedestals, are eight purple gemstones, perfectly ovoid in shape, perfectly smooth in texture, perfectly inviting in shine.

Another set of stairs leads further up, and there is no sign of either Abela or Ragefast.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep Grepha's deadpan voice announces as they arrive in the new room, "The first person to touch one of the gemstones will have bird crap in their hair the next time they sleep, if they survive. I certainly hope those are not the pearls we came for, they don't look terribly pearl-shaped." At first, Sam is prepared to march through with no interest, but he recalls he's supposed to be retrieving pearls from this tower. He begins at the writing desk, where he assumes any half-written letters to the intended customer would have been left when Abela took his sanity. The invisible imp joins him, pecking about the desks and papers. Spoiler: Actions Show (1d20+5)[22] Sam Investigation to search the writing area for the pearls (1d20+5)[6] Grepha Help

[Archmage1]

Grok Dwarf Paladin 8 AC: 20 HP: 86/86 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 HD: 8/8d10, Conditions: Branded Entering the room, Grok looks around, suspiciously, but doesn't see anything immediately alarming. Except of course, for the lightning crystal, which he keeps well away from, being a proper dwarf. Instead, he heads over towards the writing desk, and surveys the wizard's choice in alcohol, as well as the more recent writings.

[Bobthewizard]

Leaf Tabaxi Rogue 8 AC: 17 HP: (55)/(55) 63 PP: 18 PIv: 15 PIs: 14 HD: 8/8d8 Restrain: 3/3 Dawn Conditions: slimy doom -1 CON

Aergid Silver Dragon Wyrmling AC 17, HP DEAD /45 PP: 14 PIv: 11 PIs: 12 Bite +6 1d10+4 Breath 15' cone 4d8 DC13 Con Recharge 5-6 Paralyzing 15' cone DC13 Con paralyzed 1 minute DEAD!!!!!

Leaf takes a quick look around the wizard's lab and panics just a little, thinking this is not a safe place to be. He agrees with GRpha's warning.

"I don't think we should touch anything in here. What do you think escaped from over there?"

He points to the shattered display as he asks the question. Then, after waiting for the all-clear from Senna, he recommends that we ascend the next flight of stairs, still looking for traps and clues on his way

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Investigation (1d20+5)[18]

Spoiler: notes

Show

Commander Scar, Flaming Fist
Dabron Sashenstar, Merchant's League
Ragefest, wizard
Abela, nymph
Ramazith, wizard that Ragefest doesn't trust.
Aldeth Sashenstar, Dabron's brother
Halbazzar Drin, owner of Sorcerous Sundries
Vivian/Ninian, sister to the others
Lieutenant Angelo Dosan, jerk Flaming Fist
Bounties

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 59/59 PP: 18 PIv: 10 PIs: 18 Conditions: Concentrating on: 8 / 8 d8 HD Spell Slots- 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 2/3 3rd, 2/2 4th 1/2 Wildshape Caelyn, ears alert for any sign of the Fist coming to investigate or Ragefast coming to blast them to pieces, assists Leaf in looking for trip wires or floor panels. She might not be trained in their disarming yet, but her eyes were among the sharpest in her skilled family.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Help action for Leaf.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 19 HP: 56/56 Spells: 1st: 2/4 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 1/3 4th: 1/2, Turn Undead: 2/2, Short Rests: 2/2 (+d8) Harness Divine Power 2/2, 2nd Conditions: Con reduced to 13, Concentration Detect Magic Senna instead checks the ritual circle and all around magic in the room with her magical divinations. I know perfectly well not to disturb a magic circle, thank you! she complains about the imp's obvious warning. We have to beat the mage at his own game. It is easy to point at a broken window and go 'the intruders did this' but I assume it is exceedingly difficult to point at a manipulated magical matrix and tell the Fist that it has been moved. She checks the megafauna as well as the circle. Now are you a summoning trap or a teleportation circle. Are these in stasis or actually stuffed? Spoiler Show Arcana (1d20+4)[22] Nature (2d20)[4][5](9) for each creature

[Amnestic]

Sam's investigation of the writing desk finds it scattered with papers in entire disorder. Some are spells half-finished, others are never-sent letters that veer off into rambling - sometimes poetry, while others are just a collection of tomes on arcane theory and the interactions of typical Weave-magic with that of the Feywild. Inkpots have been knocked over and since dried, leaving ugly splotches across the pieces that inadvertently mopped up the spilled liquid, obscuring whatever was written there. The drawers on the desk don't seem to have been used for some time, and when opened reveal a stark distinction from the chaos of the desk itself. Inside are writing implements and other supplies, all neatly arranged and stored with meticulous precision. There are, however, no pearls.

Senna's glance at the animals - which both slam their face (snake) and limbs (octopus) into the glass when she gets close - tells her that they're extremely friendly, and the hissing is probably just the snake's way of saying hello. The magic circle you can judge as relating to energy transfer. It seems to be draining power from the crystal, to feed...something. Possibly the entire building, possibly a specific spell, but it's draining an immensely powerful arcane crystal for some purpose(s).

While there doesn't seem to be much in the way of traps on the floor itself, the stairs up to the next level seem to have a mechanical aspect to them. Tiny holes at the bottom of each step, and gears at the sides, indicate that there's something going on with them, but there isn't any visible trigger, at least not at this level.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep Performing a small series of gestures, Sam conjures a spectral hand. He has it stick its fingers into the holes in the stairs and fiddle around. If that has no effect, he moves near the bottom of the stairs to get a better view up them and sends the mage hand ahead to investigate any switches or levers he can see.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 19 HP: 56/56 Spells: 1st: 2/4 2nd: 2/3 3rd: 1/3 4th: 1/2, Turn Undead: 2/2, Short Rests: 2/2 (+d8) Harness Divine Power 2/2, 2nd Conditions: Con reduced to 13, Concentration Detect Magic Senna recoils at the animals jumping 'for joy' at her sight, because not only did she not expect LIVE animals, but also not such attentiveness. Something must've broken out, but I hope it is not an ambush predator. We do so poorly ill-prepared. she moans about all while investigating the magic crystal. Okay, this powers something. It may continue my path as being the unlawful part of this group, but at least taking it into custody until we have dealt fully with our gracious host seems like a good idea. Just to even the playing field should it come to a violent argument. Senna says as she goes to pick up the crystal. Spoiler Show Gonna pick it up unless someone disagrees heavily, ie stops her.

[Bobthewizard]

Leaf Tabaxi Rogue 8 AC: 17 HP: (55)/(55) 63 PP: 18 PIv: 15 PIs: 14 HD: 8/8d8 Restrain: 3/3 Dawn Conditions: slimy doom -1 CON

Aergid Silver Dragon Wyrmling AC 17, HP DEAD /45 PP: 14 PIv: 11 PIs: 12 Bite +6 1d10+4 Breath 15' cone 4d8 DC13 Con Recharge 5-6 Paralyzing 15' cone DC13 Con paralyzed 1 minute DEAD!!!!!

After describing the holes he sees on the stairs, Leaf is happy to let Sam's Magic hand go up the stairs to trigger whatever trap this certainly must be.

"If you see any gas or smell any odor, be ready to run. If the hand doesn't find anything, perhaps I could summon Aergid and we could send her up the stairs first. Unless you want to go first, Grepha."

He looks up the stairs to see if he can figure out anything more about the trap, or notice any tripwires, although he suspects Ragefest would use a magical trigger.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Investigation to determine how trap works (1d20+5)[18]
Perception to notice a trigger (1d20+7)[13]

Spoiler: notes

Show

Commander Scar, Flaming Fist
Dabron Sashenstar, Merchant's League
Ragefest, wizard
Abela, nymph
Ramazith, wizard that Ragefest doesn't trust.
Aldeth Sashenstar, Dabron's brother
Halbazzar Drin, owner of Sorcerous Sundries
Vivian/Ninian, sister to the others
Lieutenant Angelo Dosan, jerk Flaming Fist
Bounties

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep "Are you trying to get yourself and everyone else killed?" Grepha snaps acidically at Senna when she goes to grab the giant lightning-shooting crystal from its place, bare-handed. "If you want to take it, wait until the rest of us are safely outside of the blast radius. And for your scribe's sake, don't use your damn hands."

[Archmage1]

Grok Dwarf Paladin 8 AC: 20 HP: 86/86 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 HD: 8/8d10, Conditions: Branded Reviewing the room, Grok tries to figure out where they are in relation to where they started, hoping to get some idea of the size of the building, and possible locations of other rooms. Spoiler: OOC Show This feels like a stonecunning check might be reasonable? Or something? (1d20)[20] (+5 if stonecunning works, -1 if int based, +0 if wis based)

[Amnestic]

From Leif's position at the bottom of the stairs it's difficult to see any overt triggers, but you think you can see the glimmer of a magic glyph a decent way up the stairs. The only thing Sam receives for his claw-based investigation is a slightly slick and a little sticky finger. It doesn't burn though, so that's probably a bonus. Grok's assessment of the stonework is that this room is too large for where it is in the building, but there also doesn't seem to be any secret doors or exits beyond the windows, the stairs you came up, and the stairs you could yet climb.

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 59/59 PP: 18 PIv: 10 PIs: 18 Conditions: Concentrating on: 8 / 8 d8 HD Spell Slots- 4/4 1st, 3/3 2nd, 1/3 3rd, 2/2 4th 1/2 Wildshape With Leaf's direction, Caelyn will tilt her head towards the stairs, follow their path, and identify the rune. "I'll try to dismiss that rune, if you all wish." Aiming down her staff, she implores nature to naturalize the weave, suppressing or dispelling what may be a trap. "We should hurry. Time is against us, and we have no idea how much more of this place we'll have to search."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Subtracted one 3rd level slot. If a roll is required- (1d20+5)[7] to dispell. If anyone has a reason not to, I will wait till the group decides to dispell the rune.

[Amnestic]

When the glyph vanishes, it appears to trigger the trap. Thankfully, not particularly lethally. It starts with the holes squirting out a copious amount of a slick, oily liquid that adheres to the stairs just enough to not slip down...and then the stairs tilt, turning from their individual steps into a single, angled 'slide'. Had you triggered it halfway up, there's a solid chance one or all of you would've been sent careening back to the bottom in a massive pile of bruises (especially if the heavily armored Grok ended up on top).

As it is, what you now face is more of an inconvenience than an actual threat to your life or health, but...it's still inconvenient.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Climbing the stairs (assuming you can't fly) requires a DC12 Acrobatics check. Failure means you slide to the bottom. This doesn't do damage, but it is annoying, and will require repeats as well as costing you a minute of time for each attempt until you succeed.

Also I'm gonna say the stairwell is too narrow for Sam to carry anyone up it without dragging your feet, there's not enough room for two.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam | Grepha Half-Dragon Warlock/Bard | Imp Warlock AC: 12 HP: 32/62 | AC: 13 HP: 32/32 PP: 10|13 PIv: 15|12 PIs: 11|13 Flaming Fist Form | Raven Form, Invisible Ragefast's Keep It's a far less insidious trap than Sam was expecting. Kind of humorous, actually. If he were in a better mood, he might have given it a laugh. Better moods are a rarity these days. Instead, he makes an attempt at 'climbing' the stairs, using his hidden wings to give himself a bit of assistance. Grepha is ascending ahead of him, scouting any dangers that might strike at the top of the stair.

[Bobthewizard]

Leaf Tabaxi Rogue 8 AC: 17 HP: (55)/(55) 63 PP: 18 PIv: 15 PIs: 14 HD: 8/8d8 Restrain: 3/3 Dawn Conditions: slimy doom -1 CON

Aergid Silver Dragon Wyrmling AC 17, HP DEAD /45 PP: 14 PIv: 11 PIs: 12 Bite +6 1d10+4 Breath 15' cone 4d8 DC13 Con Recharge 5-6 Paralyzing 15' cone DC13 Con paralyzed 1 minute DEAD!!!!!

Not wanting to get any of the slick, oily liquid on his paws, fur or clothes, Leaf climbs up the wall on the side of the stairway. Once at the top, he first makes sure there is no immediate danger, and then throws down one end of a rope while he tries to find a place to tie off the other end.

"This should help you all get up here too."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spoiler: notes

Show

Commander Scar, Flaming Fist
Dabron Sashenstar, Merchant's League
Ragefest, wizard
Abela, nymph
Ramazith, wizard that Ragefest doesn't trust.
Aldeth Sashenstar, Dabron's brother
Halbazzar Drin, owner of Sorcerous Sundries
Vivian/Ninian, sister to the others
Lieutenant Angelo Dosan, jerk Flaming Fist
Bounties

[Archmage1]

Grok Dwarf Paladin 8 AC: 20 HP: 86/86 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 HD: 8/8d10, Conditions: Branded While Leaf avoids the problem, and starts to set up a rope, Grok simply tries to bull through, trying to use his glaive as a pole to help maintain his balance. Sadly, it turns out that proper dwarven boots, while great for providing traction on slick alehouse floors, deep in the mines, and while wading through the blood of their enemies, are not quite up to the task of sustaining traction on a slippery staircase. With a great clatter, Grok ends up crumpled on the floor, swearing bloody murder on the designer of the staircase, and, with a certain level of bloody minded persistence, tries again, this time driving his fingers into the walls with all the force he could bring to bear. This time, he makes it. Spoiler: OOC Show Got a 3, and then a 13.