Tyrant's Grasp: The Dead Roads [IC]

[DrK]

Grum glances at Gwen and Helena, "Aye Sal. It be a beast, be good that it be dead." Helena rests a hand on the dwarf's shoulder and looks with some confusion at Sal. "Strange words Sal. Are these common terms in your home place? Protoplasm, biodiverse, keratin... what do these words mean?" As she looks back arond the cave she looks at the busts one more time "Rosar's family. He was a famed hero, its a large tomb for him."

Before she can mutter or say more Grum points to the north through the opening "Lets go, I want tae' be getting out of this bleedin' tomb." Flanked by the twin motes of light he stomps into the centre of the next room, sword in hand and at the ready.

[lostsole31]

Grum finds that he actually has to hustle to get to the center of this massive room, larger even then the one center room downstairs. This cavernous chamber has two doors to the north and two to the south. The west end of the room contains an altar with a symbol of a winged rapier burning with bright light. Several tiles on the floor in front of the altar bear large symbols. The east end of the room contains a large crack, defacing a mural of armored figures staring resolutely forward, with beams radiating behind them. Several corpses of small, bug-eyed blue creatures slump in three piles throughout this room.

"Common words, ha!" Drake laughs as moves just inside the room, but no farther, to get a sense of the room.

In the meantime, Sal begins to answer while walking to the arched doorway. "My brother's right. They aren't 'common' words among the general populace, but tend to be more common among the educated or scientists..."

"Wait, hold on!" says Drake in alarm.

Grum sees it too. From each of the three piles of bodies, some type of insect or similar critter that was snacking on corpses makes itself known by clambering atop their individual prizes.

Begin Round One ...

R1T26: Sal darts right past his brother and into the room, taking a guarded position by Grum. He then concentrates briefly, looking around and calls out, "We have what appear to be three giant cockroaches - mindless vermin ... sensitive to daylight-level illumination ... they're not that tough, but they are hard to put down."

R1T20: Gwennid takes wing and flies past those at the door and gets a little bit of height (5') before a quick visual. She sends a shadowy beam towards the cockroach on the easternmost pile (Red), striking it for 3 cold. That cold is not from ice and raw energy, but seemed more like the cold of death and the grave.

R1T19: The cockroach on the center pile to the south charges down its hill of food at Drake. The cockroach is the size of a working dog, not a larger mastiff or riding dog. As it skittered forth to snap at him, it greedily clicked its filth-slicked mandibles.

R1T17: Helena, what do you do?

[DrK]

Helena's face cracks slightly into a look of near disgust at the massive bugs as a shiver runs down her spine. As the dog sized bug runs towards Drake she steps to the right and peers through the door to fire past Drake point blank with a flaming arrow

Spoiler: OOC

Show

free: 5ft step to the east
swift: Stance of piercing rays
Full: Rapid shot (including point blank shot) at blue roach
shot 1 (1d20+6)[12] dam (1d8+3)[6] + (1d6)[6] fire
shot 2 (1d20+6)[18] dam (1d8+3)[6] + (1d6)[3] fire
(-2 for rapid shot included, +1 for point blank shot included)

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Helena's face cracks slightly into a look of near-disgust at the massive bugs as a shiver runs down her spine. As the dog sized bug runs towards Drake, she steps to the right and peers through the door to fire past Drake point blank with flaming arrows. The first arrow completely misses, but the second hits for 6 + 3 fire.

R1T13: Red comes down off of its yummy dinner plate of dead mite corpses to snap at Gwennid.

R1T10: Camael moves to the doorway and jumps through, moving surprisingly acrobatically for a man in a "trenchcoat." He copies his pattern done so many times now ... attack full power and miss, and then attack with a faster, wilder swing that through pure luck connects. In this case, he completely spatters himself, Drake, and Helena in the guts and gore of the recently departed, who even now is singing with the choir of cockroaches.

R1T6: Grum, what do you do?

[DrK]

Grum sees one with Gwen and the strange outlanders near the eastern bug and thinks it’s covered. With a great roar he charges on stumpy legs towards the western bug on the far side of the room and swings down with a great hacking chop

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Charge west at green. Stop 10ft away using reach from Titan sword form

Risky attack + charge (1d20+10)[20]
Dam (2d6+10)[17]

[lostsole31]

R1T6: Grum sees one with Gwen and the strange outlanders near the eastern bug and thinks it’s covered. With a great roar he charges on stumpy legs towards the western bug on the far side of the room and swings down with a great hacking chop that cuts deep into it for 17 + disabled + staggered. How it is still moving is beyond Grum.

R1T5: Drake takes a quick look at the beasties for his own purposes. He steps up to Red and overswings against the small creature, hitting himself with the very point of his own machete for (1 bleed). He grunts more in wounded pride and frustration than pain.

R1T3: Green stumbles down its meal pile, snapping its mandibles at Grum.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T26: Sal falls back to the west and takes some type of stylized shot that hits Red for 7 + staggered.

R2T20: Though their flying style is clumsy, yet Gwennid is able to hover with big flaps of their plant-like wings, immediately reforming their green light spear and stabbing the creature for 11 + disabled + staggered.

R2T17: Helena, what do you do?

Red on deck, Camael in the hole ...

[DrK]

Helena sees the three beasts almost destroyed by her allies and holds off wasting any more arrows. Advancing a little she walks into the room ready for anything sense to appear

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Take total defence action
Advance 10ft into the room

[lostsole31]

R2T17: Helena sees the three beasts almost destroyed by her allies and holds off wasting any more arrows. Advancing a little she walks into the room ready for anything sense to appear.

R2T13: Sal was right, these things are hard to put down even though they look like they can barely do anything. Either because of Drake's attack, or because his bleeding spurs on the cockroach, it bites at him furiously, catching the man in the chest for 4.

R2T10: Camael masterfully staunches Drake's bleeding with mundane, but effective, medical knowledge. He then moves around the eastern side of the pile of mites to threaten Red from a different angle.

R2T6: Grum's turn!

Drake on deck, Green in the hole ...

[DrK]

Grum steps back a tiny bit in surprise at the fact it still lives and chips down again hard before stepping back trailing the blade behind him.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Standard: Risky strike (1d20+8)[26] dam (2d6+10)[19]
Swift: Enter Vigilant Keeper Stance
Free: 5ft step back

If it advances at Grum through the difficult terrain and provokes an AoO with 10ft reach
AoO (1d20+8)[23] dam (2d6+10)[15]

[lostsole31]

R2T6: Grum steps back a tiny bit in surprise at the fact it still lives and chips down again hard - completely splattering the bug this time - before stepping back, trailing the blade behind him.

R2T5: Drake steps directly under Gwennid to finish off the last cockroach.

Combat Ends!

[DrK]

Grum bends down wipes the massive blade on his trouser leg to clean off the chunks of splattered bug. ”they be a big bug here.” Looking around Grum sees the blood on Drake, “Ye be reet?” he asks Drake as he looks at the mess of the bug.

Helena standing in the middle of the room holds up her buckler and recharges the light on it. ”How curious.” She says advancing slowly towards the western end of the room and the strange stuff there.

[lostsole31]

Drake blinks, taking a second to process Grum's patois and then nods cheerily and says, "Oh, yeah. It gave it's best, and it barely hurt. Oh, thanks Cam, for stopping my goof before I actually felt it. Yeah, we're just not used to fighting things that are so small. Most of the time it's people ... dead people ... but people. And some of the other monsters we've seen became the predators to mankind because they moved among humans undetected ... again, looking like people."

Sal joins Helena at the altar, which seems to honor Arazni, the Red Crusader, upon which currently burns a flame without warmth or fuel.

The square in front of the altar consists of nine 2-foot-square stones arranged in a 3 x 3 grid. The words “Follow Along Roslar’s Devotion” are carved around the grid. The nine symbols are arranged as follows. Row 1 is the northernmost row; the tiles in each row are listed from east (closest to the mural) to west (closest to the altar).

• Row 1: A mailed fist, a tree, and a tower.
• Row 2: A heart, a rapier, and a skull.
• Row 3: A horse’s head, a round helm, and a pair of feathery wings.

[DrK]

Helena squats down to look at the tiles and the looks at the others. Curious. Signs of the gods.” she says and stares at the tiles trying to figure out which ones are relevant.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Does her knowledge of religion help her?

Grum looks around as Helena studies the tiles. ”Be careful lass. There be nothing nice here.” As Drake speaks Grum’s brow furrows, “I still be curious to know where ye be from.” watching Drake carefully.

[lostsole31]

"Kansas," says Drake, "just like the classic rock band."

Helena will find that knowledge alone won't help, but that she will need to take what she's seen and understood so far in this tomb to try to figure things out.

[DrK]

Grum floats a mote above the scene to help Helena as he maintains a careful watch on the area with his sword held aloft. Helena nods her thanks as she squats by the three rows of tiles on the floor. "Curious" she murmurs to herself as she watches the pattern. "Do you think it is the patterns that are associated with Roslar or his favoured Arazni?" she asks the room at large, nodding she points at the three of the tiles, "Symbols of the Red Crusader, Her wings, her heart and her red rapier." . Glancing at the tiles and looking at the burning brazier she looks about, "Do we touch them do you think or explore further?"

Grum for his part shrugs,"Now or later. It do be making no difference." Looking at the tiles he nods in vague agreement. "I do be ina greement taht we do see some of these fer the Red Lady herself. And Roslar seems to have been mighty sweet on her. Lads?" he asks to the brother and Caelm, a nod of the head to include Gwen as well.

[lostsole31]

"Uh, I don't think we're coming back later if we can find a way out of here," says Drake.

"Yeah, let's try to figure this out ... but that really is more up to you two, because we're not from here," says Sal. "But something like this usually indicates there is something hidden to be discovered. And right now, we need all the discovery we can to figure out what has happened to us and why."

[DrK]

Helen gulps and then nods and steps lightly to her feet. Praying briefly for some guidance from the Inheritor before nodding. "Gwen suggests we are already dead, what else could happen then".. she says with a sickly smile before skipping forwards across the feathered wings, rapier and heart crossing towards the altar and offering a praise to the Red Lady.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

cast guidance before stepping on the tiles

[lostsole31]

"Wait, stop!" says Sal urgently enough so that Helena's foot hovers less than an inch above the feathered wings tile.

What does Helena do? Does she have confidence and faith in her choice? or does she hold off?

[DrK]

Helena freezes and turns, ”what’s wrong Sal? The red crusader had wings,we’ve seen it in the walls here. What do you think we should do?”

[lostsole31]

"What tiles were you going to step on?" he asks.

[DrK]

Helena points the three out. ”The feathered wings, the heart and the rapier. I’d associate these rather than anything else with Arazni.”

She points at the altar where the brazier burns that has the Red Crusader’s iconography. “This whole tomb seems to venerate her. Strange as the Roslar fought in the crusade following Iomedae and under Aroden’s banner.”

[lostsole31]

"She's right, Sal," says Drake. "Everywhere we go, we see these things on the walls."

Sal thinks, "No, wait. This tomb doesn't venerate Arazni generally. The clue says 'Follow Roslar's Devotion.' Well, this tomb is more about Roslar's fixation on Arazni, almost to a weird romantic degree it seems to me, than proper veneration of Arazni. Well, devotion begins from the heart ... traveling through the earthly motif of the rapier ... going to the more ephemeral god-thing that your Arazni. Devotion goes to the god from Roslar in this case, rather than the god's love being bestowed on the mortal."

He looks to Helena. "I agree on the tiles, but my recommendation is to reverse them, realizing there is an order."

[DrK]

Helen pauses and and then looks around the room before nodding. "Okay Sal. I shall trust you." she says as she moves to delicately follow the order suggested by Sal with the heart then rapier and then wings... As she steps forward she offers prayers to both Arazni and Iomedae

[lostsole31]

The altar swings aside to reveal a hidden panel!

[DrK]

Grum looks in surprise as the panel swings open, ”Watch out!” he calls gruffly “We dinnae know what may jump out.”

Helena hops off the tiles, a squeal of excitement ”You were right Sal!” she says happily, before scurrying to the panel to peer inside

[lostsole31]

Opening the panel, there is a mithral breastplate and a masterwork steel shield ... both emblazoned with Arazni's symbol of the red-winged rapier!

[DrK]

As Helena pulls out the equipment she lifts it high up and shows it to the others marveling "My word. its so light, what a magnificent set of armour. " She looks around to the others, "Its strong, durable and light. Would any of you like to wear it to keep yourself safe?" she asks as she looks at Sal, Drake and Caelm. She taps her own robes, "I cannot wear armour, it interferes with my castings."

Grum trundles over, his heavy metal second skin clanking. "That be nice work. Almost be as good as the dwarven make. Fine fer' a human make." Tapping his own prodigious mountain plate he shakes his head. "Too thin fer the likes of me. Should fit one of you lads eh?"" he suggests. If they get changed or discuss he'll stand in the centre of the chamber keeping watch before he looks around, "Where do ye fancy?" he asks, nodding to the openings in the NE, SW and NW corners (assuming the SE is where they came from.

[lostsole31]

The men, even Gwennid, marvel over the workmanship of both items, but especially the strange metal, but it is Camael who says, "The metal of this breastplate is known in most worlds as 'mithral,' 'mithril,' and the like. Most of our angel blades and armor are made out of mithral ... half the weight of steel and twice as durable."

The brothers are fascinated by it, but in the end it turns out that the only person in the party who can make use of it or the shield is Camael. He does ask for help from Grum for putting it on, though. "It's been awhile since I've been in a form that wore armor. Certainly never while wearing this vessel."

Assuming Grum helps him, once done Camael is decked out, but the trench coat still manages to go over the armor that is over what the boys call a "business suit."

"Damn, Cam," marvels Drake with a whistle. "You look bad ass. The mace, the armor, and the shield. It's like this place was made for you."

[DrK]

Grum smiles behind his beard offering a slight salute from his blade. ”Shall we start at this end?” he suggests as he stomps through the room and heads through the archway into the room at the North East corner

[lostsole31]

As Grum is heading over to the southeastern door ... which was ever so slightly ajar ...

Surprise Round ...

S28: Sal rushes over behind Grum and yells, "Grum, look out!"

S21-6: The door is swung wide open, and a tiny dart bounces off of Grum's armor. There is also a squeaky voice from within that sounds like spellcasting.

S8: Camael takes the breech position at the door.

End Surprise Round, Begin Round ...

R1T28: Sal readjusts his position and makes what seems like an impossible shot against an enemy in a good cover position on the other side of the doorway for 5 mod. Yet something about that shot seems to deflate or nearly imperceptibly fatigue Sal for his effort.

R1T21: "Purple" backs away from Camael yet concentrates on the dwarf behind him. Grum feels the initial wave of panic and fear wash over him, and almost succumbs to it, were it not for his dwarven hardiness which helps him rally and throw off the effect.

R1T19: Seeing another fight break out, but not knowing the danger, Gwennid casts a defensive spell on herself that causes a shimmering several inches around her to momentarily appear before nothing is again seen. She then breaks due east while flying several feet off of the ground.

R1T16: "Pink" steps back from Camael as well and concentrates on him .... and he is completely nonplussed by the effort.

R1T13: Drake hustles while unsheathing his machete again, and moves just inside the next room. "We got a trio of mites in here, and one of them to the west looks different than the others."

R1T12: Helena, what do you do?