Anauroch: Empire of Shade IC

[Nines]

Moving into the auditorium hall, Lune ran his hand along the adjacent wall, stopping briefly at intervals to tap the metal ringlet of his leather gauntlet against the occasional stone and listening for the auditory reply from within. He rightly surmised that the shaped acoustics of the chamber had made it ideal for the novel investigative method.

"This was once a center of great learning," said Lune, addressing the speculation of the rooms purpose. "A lecture hall would indeed seem likely." He agreed, as he continued his alternating pattern around the room's perimeter. "It seems our curator has kept it in relative order, despite the long disuse." He observed, while sweeping his eyes over the remaining contents.

Once he was satisfied of his own inspections, he returned to the center aisle of the pews, standing opposite the stage. Turning on his heel to face the curtains in view of their most curious kobold companion, he gave a silent nod of affirmation to the gesture of drawing the cloth aside.

Spoiler: OOC

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Summary of actions:
Lune will sweep the room in advance of the party to ensure everyone's safety while looking for hidden features. He'll then end his position on the far side of the room while Shraxtrix is looking at the curtains.

Spoiler: Exploration tactics

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Move stealthily:
Hide 20 (27 at doors or corners), Move Silent 20, Search 22* while moving (take 10, move at half-speed).

Detect creatures:
Passive senses: Spot 27, Listen 15 (Ixtalan); Spot 26, Listen 15 (Allan).

Inspect thoroughly:
Doors, rooms, chests: Search 32*, Open Lock 27* (take 20, as needed, 2min. each).
*Allan's assist.

Extrasensory:
blindsense 60ft, darkvision 120ft., superior low-light vision, detect magic.

[paradox26]

The elves used this chamber for important meetings and lectures, as well as for musical and dramatic performances. The floor at the eastern end of the room is about 6 inches lower than the corridor outside, and the floor inside slopes another 5 feet down toward the stage at the western end. The ceiling in this room doesn’t shed light, but the stage is bathed in a dim glow around the clock, leaving the seating area cloaked in shadowy illumination.

You spend a minute searching, but don't find anything important. There is a double door leading to the east, behind the curtain. It isn't locked, and doesn't appear to be anything special, other than the only way out.

[Alhallor]

Shraxtrix liked the big chamber. She could very well picture an all-speaker standing there for a bunch of kobolds that could benefit from it's wisdom.

That sounds great Lune! I would love to listen to a lecture here if the tower ever get's opened again.

The great double-door did catch the kobolds attention and after she let Lune check for traps or anything she would grab at one of the double-doors and pull with all her might to get it open, probably leaving some claw-marks on the floor.

Spoiler: OOC

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Just some Strength 6 in action.

[samduke]

Darla riding over near the double doors looking at Shraxtrix. Do you require help?

[Alhallor]

Shraxtrix panting heavily, nods and points at the other door of the double-door.

I can take this one, I'm sure but you could try the other? It is awfully heavy. Definitely not done by a kobold!

[paradox26]

The doors open, revealing a corridor. To the north is a pair of double doors. To the south is a door, and to the south there is a turn to the east around the corner, where you can't see what it is leading to. There is nothing more notable about the corridor.

[rax]

"So, doors or opening? Which shall we examine first?" Aubryn asks after sneaking a peek into the corridor.

[samduke]

dismounting from her mount, Ruh go down there and see what is around the corner but be careful. then looking to the north at the double doors.

Well Aubryn I say investigate both when possible, why not we go have a look at these double doors while he goes and checks out that corridor corner area.

[rax]

"Very well, since you're willing to risk your companion, we should do no less ourselves," Aubryn agrees. Stepping into the corridor, he makes for the double doors and tries them to see if they're locked.

Spoiler: Actions

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Aubryn has 30-foot blindsight, so he should detect any creature hiding in the corridor unless there's no line of effect. However, I'll toss out a Listen and a Spot check in case they're necessary for some reason.

Listen check (1d20+7)[12]
Spot check (1d20+9)[26]

[Nines]

"That may yet come to pass, if we can persuade the phantom that he is longer beset by foes." Said Ixtalan, to the idea of restoring the school to it's former glory. "In the elves' absence, Myth Drannor was host to terrible denizens some years ago, liches and their ilk." He added, barely masking his distaste in the words, as the doors were opened.

With a cursory look over the corridor as the party fanned out, Lune instinctively began calculating possible points of contact. This wasn't an easily defensible position, even if they could potentially fall back to the auditorium. He would have to clear the eastern corridor and then cover the south exit to protect their flank.

Moving with consummate grace alongside the great cat, Lune stopped short of the eastern turn, letting his keen senses permeate the hallway from the corner's edge. After qualifying the sensory feedback with the palmed mirror, and a mind toward more apparitions, he crossed the opening and proceeded to the southern foyer. Examining the egress for assurances of it's unharm, he peered through to what lay beyond.

Spoiler: OOC

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Summary of actions:
Ixtalan will stop at the edge of the Eastern corridor, allowing his blindsense to fill the hallway 60ft. inward while maintaining his stealth using the half cover of the corner.

He'll perform a visual inspection via the mirror and then continue to the South door. Inspecting it thoroughly, he'll then open it stealthily to check the contents of the next room.

Spoiler: Exploration tactics

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Move stealthily:
Hide 20 (27 at doors or corners), Move Silent 20, Search 22* while moving (take 10, move at half-speed).

Detect creatures:
Passive senses: Spot 27, Listen 15 (Ixtalan); Spot 26, Listen 15 (Allan).

Inspect thoroughly:
Doors, rooms, chests: Search 32*, Open Lock 27* (take 20, as needed, 2min. each).
*Allan's assist.

Extrasensory:
blindsense 60ft, darkvision 120ft., superior low-light vision, detect magic.

[BananaPhone]

Faora Bolton


The druid had followed behind the others, her hulking urisine companion, Cuddles, alongside her as they provided a sort of rear-guard.

Emerging into the auditorium, Foara listened to the lamentations of the others over what a grand centre of learning that this must have once been, as rows of eager students could be imagined seated within the rows, eyes alert and minds ready as their lecturer strode forth to provide another valuable lesson of the day.

"The earth was here long before us..." she commented to no-one-in-particular, "and it will be here long after even our greatest works are dust..." she finished, observing a row of seats and dragging her staff out across it in inspection, her massive bear companion sitting on its huge rump behind her.

[paradox26]

The northern double doors, it turns out, lead you back into the entry foyer chamber.

The corridor to the south east leads to two separate doors to the north partway along the hall, and a door to the east. There are no signs of life that you can see so far.

The door to the south is a bit different. It is hidden as a normal door, but your enhanced senses reveal it to be a portal of some description.

Sweeping the staff over the chairs does nothing of note, other than to reveal that there is no dust on the chairs. They may be used regularly, or they may be protected by magic or regular cleaning, it is impossible to tell.

[samduke]

Darla returns through the corridor south back to where Ruh is.

This seems a bit odd here anyone else want to examine this with some magic?

[rax]

"And so we come full circle..." Aubryn declares with a portentous chuckle when the northern doors lead him back to the foyer.

"Personally, I think a disguised portal seems far more interesting than trying the other doors. Shall we see if it's trapped and then where it leads?" he asks the others.

[Alhallor]

Shraxtrix seems a bit disappointed after arriving at the Foyer again.

I think we have already observed with magic, but I guess it can't hurt.

The small kobold swipes a claw over her eyes.

draushum mlaen

Spoiler: Draconic

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Dragon sight.

And looks around, trying to find any different magics from before, ignoring the fountain for now.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spellcraft: (1d20+1)[17] Checking the surroundings if we somehow got teleported here or if it really makes sense that we did a full circle. I would go for the portal.

Shraxtrix looks at Aubryn, blinking and removes the ring that Elminster gave her. We should took them off or we would land here again, right?

[rax]

Aubryn looks down at the little kobold and shrugs. "It's possible, but unless this portal is a trap or a joke of some sort, it would be incongruous for the rings to activate now that we're inside the Tower. After all, their purpose is to bring people in from the outside, and Elminster said nothing of them being used for transportation within the Tower," he reasons.

[Nines]

Already in front of the portal, Lune had his back to the hallway and an electrum-bound volume in his hand, meticulously cross referencing the faint symbols that ensconced the doorways frame. The dull echo of the corridor allowing him to keep abreast of the conversation further north, "I agree. I do not believe the rings to be the culprit, rather merely the geometry of our passage." He said, raising an errant hand to the air to trace their circuitous path taken, while focusing on the task in front of him. "The portal is safe, though the destination may be less so." said Ixtalan, apprising them of his progress thus far. "El did say to expect a number of these, but lest we end up in something else's prison plane..." He added, as he continued matching the subtle scrollwork to the tome's arcane index. "This should tell us a bit more."

Spoiler: OOC

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already Inspected thoroughly: Search 32. Ref: #160

Ixtalan will ascertain via detect magic whether the portal has a strong (active) or weak aura (inactive). *FRCS p.59

He will then attempt to discern whether the portal transits somewhere else on Toril (e.g. teleport), or if it has an extradimensional or interplanar destination (gate or similar). Arcana or Planes, depending. *PHB p.78

Roll post #248.

[paradox26]

Shraxtrix looks around the foyer, but doesn't see anything of interest other than the fountain containing treasure. It appears, from what you can tell, that you haven't been teleported back to the foyer, you have simply walked in a circle through the various rooms you passed through.


Lune is able to tell that the portal is active, and appears to activate when the rings come near it. It is a teleporting portal rather than a gate, as best you can tell, so you might suspect that it is designed for movement around the Tower. It is possible, however, that it could lead instead to another place within the city, or even to another place entirely, such as Evermeet, another elven city.

[samduke]

Darla and companions (if told about the portal, will proceed through it)
if not told will sit near the portal

[rax]

"Well, if the portal takes us out of the Tower, I imagine our rings will enable us to return swiftly, as long as we remain within five miles of this place. So the main risk would appear to be if this portal takes us somewhere further afield. I am still willing to take that risk, but if we sweep this floor and find no other means of continuing, then we can be more certain that this portal is indeed intended for movement within the school. I shall defer to the majority opinion," Aubryn says.

[Alhallor]

Shraxtrix nods at Aubryn's explanation and puts the ring on again.

I think we should try the portal, it looks like the most promising thing here. Says the little kobold with a last look at the fountain full of treasures. They could still get what's inside there when they were done with they're tasks.

[BananaPhone]

Faora Bolton

"I agree with Aubryn," the druids melodic voice chimed in.

"It makes little sense to have a floor sealed off from the rest of the building only for its sole means of entry to instead transport those using it to outside the premises, rather than localizing somewhere else within it."

[Nines]

Listening to the convergence of interests as he performed the necessary decipherments, and bolstered by his own confirmations in the semiotics of the door's construction, Lune judged the risks to have been adequately countenanced. "Very well. Should we end up further afield overland, that is not entirely insurmountable either." agreed Ixtalan, as he stowed his implements of research and prepared to embark. "I have designs against possible safeguards on the other side. I will disable them and send Allan as an all-clear signal momentarily." He said, as he broached the threshold of the frame. His form dissipated into a shower of contigous white-hot sparks, before fading uniformly into nothing, leaving only the transient scent of an electric discharge in the hallway air.

Spoiler: OOC

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Summary of actions:
Upon landing, he will first thoroughly inspect the exit portal for traps. *Search 32 w/ Allan's assist.

Ixtalan will then look for wards or divinations on the portal and landing area via detect magic, while attempting to avoid triggering them with his nondetection.

If he finds any, he'll attempt to dispel or disable them (as needed). He'll then send Allan back through once the doorway has been made safe on this end.

Spoiler: active effects

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• Otikuke's suppression field
20ft. radius emanation impedes Evocation effects within it's area (CL check DC 24), such as spell traps.

• nondetection vs divinations (CL check DC 28).

[rax]

"He really does like to showboat," Aubryn comments once Lune had disappeared through the portal. "Are any of you ladies the betting kind? Perhaps we could put together a pool and see how long it takes before he runs into some serious trouble?" he jokes.