The Grinder Group 2

[Sxoa]

Gregor recalls that walls can be enchanted like magic items. Imbued to project various spells from their walls. When the falls fall, so too do their enchantments.

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I'm not sure what you're trying to figure out with Dungeoneering?
* Arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
* Architecture and engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
* Dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)

[Douglas]

Ranvor

Ranvor sticks his arms through the portal and turns off the AMF again for a moment, then puts his head through as well and takes a few quick breaths of clean air before coming back out. Phew. That's better.

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So we need to destroy the walls to destroy the AMF permanently? Let's do that earth elemental scout idea and see what we find out. If they're metal and rusting away a 10' thick section wouldn't open the whole thing to outer space or something like that, we can try rust monster attacks while I suppress it.

On a completely unrelated note, does anyone have a large quantity of lead paint and a paint roller?

[TheMeanDM]

Teliron thinks to the group:

Perhaps this would be a fine time to enlist the aid of this sphere. If the walls are enchanted with an Anti Magic field, I find it highly unlikely that a minor artifact such as the sphere would be affected by it.

Gregor says to Ex Machina:

Perhaps your Avoral could use it's Gusting spell to direct the airflow away from us, for the duration that it is here?

[Douglas]

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Ooh, good idea, that's a lot more precise and flexible than 10' cube units and doesn't require metal walls. I'd still want to get some information about the wall's thickness and such first, though.

I don't think Gust of Wind is flexible or long duration enough to shield against the dust very well. Maybe in combination with Sculpt Spell, but Avorals don't have that normally and Teliron doesn't have it either so he can't apply it.

[TheMeanDM]

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Ooh, good idea, that's a lot more precise and flexible than 10' cube units and doesn't require metal walls. I'd still want to get some information about the wall's thickness and such first, though.

I don't think Gust of Wind is flexible or long duration enough to shield against the dust very well. Maybe in combination with Sculpt Spell, but Avorals don't have that normally and Teliron doesn't have it either so he can't apply it.

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but it's a spell like ability executable by the Avoral every round, for as many rounds as it's here...correct?...which would be 20 rounds (then re-summon and repeat, until we figure this out)

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

The Solar and avoral exchange glances. The solar speaks.

I...am not certain that the wind will have the effect you desire, especially since it affects only a small section of the room. However, I could bring in friends from the plane of air - perhaps with several overlapping whirlwinds, we will be able to block off the bottom of the tunnel so that no further dust slips through.

To test this out, the solar focuses and brings (1d4+1)[4] Large Air Elementals.

Blessings to you, friends. I'd like you to fly up, just below the barrier and break in the tunnel above, and form whirlwinds. Fill the tunnel, working together. Keep the dust from coming down to us. Do not extend down far enough to affect any of us. Do you understand?

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Sxoa, if these elementals aren't enough, Ex will bring more in next round. Basically, just trying to create a barrier to the dust.

Also, did we get an answer as to whether the portal we came in through is visible now?

[Sxoa]

The whirlwinds provide sufficient cover to block the dust blasting in.

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or they will be if you bring some more, I don't feel like calculating out the AoE to see if it's enough when you've essentially got it covered.

Sorry, I missed the question on the entrance portal. No there is no visible exit point.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

The solar smiles a bit ruefully.

It's getting crowded in here.

Rubbing its hands together again, Ex Machina extends those same hands. A pair of massive, rough hands appear, clutched in the archon's, and the angel dips a few inches as it adjusts to the weight of the massive earth elementa. Ex Machina's words are quick and crisp.

Welcome, friend. I have need of your instinctive understanding of earth and stone. Beyond that portal is an airless tunnel. I will hurl you through the tunnel and into the side wall. Try to swim into the wall immediately, and be careful not to emerge into the tunnel again until a minute has passed. Explore the stone beyond the tunnel - its composition, shape, temperature and depth. If there are other creatures within the walls, or on the other side, avoid them as best you can. In sixty seconds, come back to the tunnel and poke your head out. I will expect a report on what you have seen and experienced. Do you understand?

After the elemental nods its assent, the archon spins about in midair, tossing the elemental at an oblique angle through the passage, where it quickly smashes into side wall and immediately tries to earth glide inside.

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Summons a large earth elemental, and tosses it on a diagonal into the tunnel wall.

[Sxoa]

The earth elemental slams into the side of the tunnel and drops like a stone into the antimagic field below where it too winks out.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

The solar sighs, and reaches through the portal with its sword. Scraping at the nearest side wall to try to remove some flecks of paint, the solar withdraws the sword again and holds it up to general view.

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Interested to see if the paint itself has any kind of magical properties, and what colour/texture the surface under the paint exhibits.

[Sxoa]

The paint comes off with little effort, though it is fairly thick. The space behind the paint is flat and glows with a solid white orange light.

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Would any of you who are especially magically astute be able to poke your head through there for a moment and see if you're able to get a fix on any auras that might be coming off of the walls? I don't believe I've seen anything quite like that.

[Sxoa]

The wall appears to be a wall of force. What lays beyond is not immediately clear.

[TheMeanDM]

Teliron meditates on the situation a moment.

The only ways I know of to destroy a wall of force are to use Disintigration, Disjunction, or a Rod of Cancellation. I have none of the the three options at my disposal.


He mentally says, then projects an image of the Sphere of Annhilation to the rest of the group.

Then again, our small black friend is also quite capable of destroying a wall of force

[Paladin Latham]

Mr. Stabby

Drawing forth his kettle and teacup, Mr. Stabby poors some tea as he says:

"Well lets send it down then"

*sips*

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

Hm. Aren't we in danger of destroying the space completely with the sphere - especially since we don't know what's on the other side.

Fiona, may I have a sling bullet?

As Fiona hands it to Ex Machina, the bullet flares with an intense flame for a moment, then settles into a gentler, repetitious pattern of light. Ex Machina tosses the bullet through the portal.

[Sxoa]

The sling bullet glows merrily until 40 feet down when its light winks out. The stone, being nonmagical, continues to fall before cracking into the far wall/floor.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

If we are stymied, I will ask the Divine Light for aid in this.

Seeming to direct its own gaze inwards, Ex Machina drifts back from the entrance to the portal.

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Starting to cast-as-SLA Commune

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

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Hearing no additional comments...

After a brief period, Ex Machina begins a dialogue with His Radiance, which the solar will relate to the others upon its completion. Ex asks the following questions:

1. Would it be dangerous to us to destroy the walls of force beyond that portal?
2. Is there vaccuum on the other side of the walls of force?
3. Is there a very dangerous substance on the other side of the walls of force?
4. Is there air on the other side of the walls of force?
Would it be dangerous to break through the wall at the far end of the tunnel on the other side of this portal?
5. Is there a creature beyond the wall at the far end of the tunnel on the other side of this portal?
6. Is there a creature within 100' beyond the wall at the far end of the tunnel on the other side of this portal?
7. Would the anti-magic effect in the tunnel go away if the walls of force were destroyed?
8. Would the anti-magic effect in the tunnel go away if a few of the walls of force were destroyed?
9. Is the portal on to the next part of the grinder accessible by breaking through the walls of force?
10. Is the portal on to the next part of the grinder accessible by getting past the wobbling wall at the far end of the passage?
11. Can we see the stars when we reach the far end of the tunnel?
12. Will we be able to breath again if we punch through the far wall?
13. Can we punch through the wall at the far end of the tunnel by throwing more rocks down?
14. Will it take us more than 3 more portals to reach the final room?
14. Will it take us more than 5 more portals to reach the final room?
15. Will it take us more then 10 more portals to reach the final room?
16. Will it take us more than 20 more portals to reach the final room?
17. Does the winner truly gain the power of godhood at the end of this journey?
18. If there is a splinter of divine power at the end of this Grinder, is it guarded by a being of divine power?
19. Is it possible for us to meet up with others who are trying to make their way through this grinder?
20. I think I left my copy of City of Angels at home, and I need to get it back to the video store. Man, when Hollywood gets angels wrong, they REALLY get us wrong. Could you return it for me?

Thank you, Lord. All blessings and glory to you.

[Sxoa]

The Divine are shielded from The Grinder as they are from the Soul Fonts. Augury would perhaps be of more but less certain help...
1. Unknown
2. Unknown
3. Unknown
4. Unknown
4a. Unknown
5. Unknown
6. Unknown
7. It seems like it, but Unknown
8. Unknown
9. Unknown
10. Unknown
11. Unknown
12. Unknown
13. Unknown
14. Unknown
15 Unknown
16. Unknown
17. Yes
18. Unknown, but it is said that The Grinder responds in kind to what is thrown at it. If the gods stepped in they would be met with Divine resistance. For you I suspect not.
19. You have already
20. It is done…

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina nods, and shares the meagre results with the rest of the group.

[Seribro]

Well... so far for the gods being almighty.... but did that it just say this thing adapts itself to challenge the one that enters? Then it is possible the challenges go on for ever until we loose one. Permanently. Well, lets not waste more time then, we have an appointment with death. Teliron, use your globe and take down that blade barrier. Ranvor, be ready to do your steely guts trick again. Teliron, when your done up there, bring the globe over and stand ready to send it through. Gregor, grab the rope. Weasel, you've had enough time to watch, take over his place as an air elemental. A big one please. Mr Stabby, your up for a dive? Good, time to jump little man! See if you can look past the tunnles walls once you reach the far end. If you can and there is nothing to see, were just going to rip those walls apart.

[Paladin Latham]

Mr. Stabby

Mr. Stabby puts away his tea then tips his hat. Gripping the rope he looks down into the abyss with shaking apprehension. (though he seems totally alert somehow).

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor shapechanges into the form of a large whispy air elemental. He begins twisting and turning in air, forming a large whirlwind to keep the dust at bay.

(ooc)

You ok, Sxoa? Haven't heard from you in awhile.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina takes up an end of the rope and lowers Mr. Stabby into the hole.

Friend Ranvor, you might as well poke through and deactivate at least a part of the anti-magic. It might come in handy in case something ends up, er, following him back up the rope.

[Sxoa]

Mr. Stabby's decent is initially somewhat bumpy as he passes the windy air. The rope is still buffeted slightly though he isn't once he moves into the antimagic field below. The lights recessed in the "ceiling" look like small fires, probably magical and probably shielded from the antimagic field by walls of force.

Descending still further and keeping an eye out for traps he reaches the bottom of the passage, hanging above the far "wall" dangling on the rope his search turns up a few things.

The first is that there is no side passageway. There is a tiny niche in the wall next to the far "wall" (what is actually the floor), that gives the illusion of a corner from far away.

The second is that the floor has a number of invisible spikes on it made from force. They are apparently immune to antimagic field like a wall of force is. You can imagine the results had one of you blundered in and fallen...

The third is that the floor is appears to be actually constructed of the same masonry the (extraordinarily well) painted facades on the force walls was trying to imitate. It seems to be mounted on mechanized hinges of a sort, It's mobile and thus not as solidly anchored as a normal structural wall would be, accounting for the wobble seen when the stone impacted it.

As near as the well dressed undead rat can tell, the floor hinges outward in the next room when sufficient wait is placed on it. The seal around it is good, but doesn't look airtight. Furthermore the antimagic field doesn't appear to extend into the seal or it's nooks, it seems to only fill the "hallway" (pit, passageway, whatever).

His ride back up is about as uneventful as the ride down.

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Can rogues search for an AMF? I'm not sure, but I'm going to say yes and especially so in this case because it's essentially a magical trap.

[Paladin Latham]

@Sxoa

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Since my hat is magical I just feel for when I get dumb. Or I could just attempt to use my ring of invisibility, visible=no magic.

[Sxoa]

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Oh no, there's no question that it's very obvious when you're in the AMF in the main hallway. The search query was to check to see if you could detect it in areas that are too small even for you. The gaps and nicks in the seal for example.

[Toliudar]

Fiona

The priest ponders for a moment, then shares her thoughts.

Ranvor, you can stop an effect that's acting on you. What if we were to lower the rope again, but you were to allow yourself to fall next to the rope, until you got most of the way down towards the ground. If your Iron...thingy...doesn't work, you grab the rope, and we pull you back up as quickly as possible. If you do manage to get rid of the anti-magic at the bottom, then all of a sudden you can fly, and you should be able to stop yourself. Then we all "fall" down afterwards. As soon as you feel the magic go, you do your thing again, holding onto the rope. Meanwhile the rest of us down there can get to work doing the gust of wind thing, and working on the safest way to get through the wall.

She glances around.

Or would we still rather try having the sphere remove one of the walls of force?

[Sxoa]

An eerie heellooooo? echoes out the water. It is untracable and causes no ill effects.

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anyone doing anything?