The Grinder Group 2

[Seribro]

Memphis turns himself into a bugbear and flies back to the stone hide-out. He picks up a rather heavy rock, about the size of a human head and then flies into the metal spike. When he comes to the portal, he flings the non-magical rock through it and looks to see if it ends up in the hallway beyond.

[Sxoa]

Memphis tosses the rock into the middle of the portal and it flies forward...

...and bizarrely continues to fly forward down the center of the hallway, picking up speed, till it shatters with a resounding crack at the far end of the hallway.

The debris sits against the far wall.

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Interesting. From our perspective, it's a horizontal corridor. But perhaps it's actually a vertical shaft of some kind.

[Seribro]

Combine that with the anti-magic field and you have a bone shattering ride down. Anyone without feather fall on the ready would get himself killed. If we hold a rope out here, we could 'lower' people into the shaft and recast a flying spell there. On the upside though, we now do know for certain that the portal leads into the hallway.

intelligence check to estimate the depth of the shaft with by the time it took the rock to hit the bottom. (1d20+13)[29]

[Kat Steel]

Martina

"Right so for those of us without any knowledges of Magics - what does that thing do again? Does it remove magic from everything or just suppress it? I always get confused!"

She looks at the magic users, waiting for an anwers. Meanwhile she begins uncoilling the silk ropes and tieing the ends together

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use rope - (1d20+9)[19](28)

"Well I guess it's time to show why i came along, Mr Stabby would you care to leave my pack and maybe ride on my shoulder and you can keep and eye out for danger"

[Seribro]

There are two kinds of anti-magics. A disspelling portal is simply a doorway that disspells any spell that move through it, permanently ending it. Magical items are not destroyed however, merely shut down for a brief period of time. The other kind is an Antimagic field. This type does not end a spell but simply suppresses the effect for as long as you remain in its area. Any spells prior in function will continue to function once you leave the area. However, unlike a disspelling portway, an anti magic area can stretch out for either a few feet or encompass an entire dungeon, depending on its source. By the looks of it, we are dealing with an anti-magic area, so there wont be any use recasting buffers once we have entered the next area, but the buffers currently in place will kick in again when we leave it. Needless to say, us magicians are going to have a very rough time in there.
Memphis rubs his chin as he gazes into the hallway. Once they enter it, they are most likely going to be defenceless to whatever is down there.
Mister Stabby, you are pretty much invulnarable to environmental hazards on your own, right? Would you agree on being our scout at this point? Martina can accompany you in a moment, but we first need to know if she would survive without the magical protections.

[Sxoa]

Memphis estimates that the tunnel is just shy of 150 feet, maybe 149 feet and 6 inches or so.

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::pout:: curse your bones the lot of you, for figuring this out before stepping in!

One thing I forgot to mention when you dropped the rock: The group's sharp eyes (a lot of you have spot checks over 30) noticed the far wall wobble slightly when hit by the stone.

[Douglas]

Ranvor

"Yes, I believe Mr. Stabby would be our best scout for this situation. I have 200 feet of rope, and our celestial friend here doesn't need magic to fly. If you can find a safe spot for us to land down there, Ex Machina could lower us all down before flying down himself."

[TheMeanDM]

"One has to wonder, though, why that wall...shimmered...or rippled...when the rock struck it." muses Gregor out loud.

[Paladin Latham]

Mr. Stabby

Not to worry lad, I'm certain its just a death-trap of some sort. I'll just... scout ahead a little. No worries..."

He looks down into the death corridor and gulps. After getting ready he will lower himself down through the portal on the rope, stopping his descent just after the portal (no wall touching).

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Mr. Stabby puts away his crossbow and Gloves of Man. He then starts to move through the portal slowly (he can still climb with rat claws). When he crosses the portal he will stop within the first 5ft. and make Spot and Listen Check as well as a thorough sweep with his scent ability. If nothing happens immediately upon entering he will check the wall closest to him for traps.

Spot (1d20+14)[22]
Listen (1d20+14)[31]
Search (1d20+18)[25]

[Toliudar]

Fiona

It was...interesting. Perhaps the wall isn't solid, but floating on something nasty.

[Sxoa]

Mr. Stabby feels his enchantments become suppressed as he crosses over the portal. Despite the deceptive architecture the gravity is definitely oriented down towards the far wall (actually the floor). Mr. Stabby tries to take a whiff to detect any scents and realizes that there is no air in the hallway.

His search does detect any traps but he does realize that the architecture is simply paint overlaid on something else.

[Paladin Latham]

Mr. Stabby

No air, no magic. I do wish my hat was working, this is all so difficult to figure out...

He then starts making odd gestures upwards.

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Grabbing onto the rope with his feet and the crook of an arm, Mr. Stabby looks at his allies through the portal (or the area that he came through, if the portal no longer exists for him) and begin pantomiming the conditions:

*Tries to talk but can't, begins choking motions* (i.e. no air)

*Points to wall, dips imaginary brush into bucket and makes up and down brush strokes* (i.e. wall is painted)

With the groups high intellect characters this should be cinch to figure out.

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor motions back, wiping his hand up and down, indicating to Stabby to try and wipe the paint off the wall.

"Perhaps it's...well...magical paint?"

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Paint of anti-magic? It seems a very complicated device. Mind you...

She glances around at the giant metal spike that had been filled with spinning blades, jets of ink, and a tentacled monstrosity.

Perhaps whoever built this likes complicated.

[Seribro]

Wait, the wall is painted on and their was a shiver through the wall in the back as it got hit by the rock? I know two things that shiver if you hit it: magical devices and living creatures. Either there is a device at the bottom that keeps the anti-magic field up, or we are actually looking down at or even into some bizarre monster. Either way, I suggest pulling mr. stabby out and throwing in as much rocks as we can get out of the excavation side back at the shelter. The speed these things build up as they fall through the shaft causes tremendous impacts so even if it is damage resistant, it should hit hard enough to do at least some internal damage.

[Kat Steel]

Martina

Following Menphis suggestions Martina begins pulling the rope that Mr Stabby is dangling from - slowly, so he doesn't loose his balance.

Once he is back with the group she coils the rope and puts them back on her belt.

[Douglas]

Ranvor

Ranvor smacks his head as memory strikes. Oh yeah... Pushing his way forward from passive position he'd been waiting in while everyone dealt with the various environmental issues, Ranvor finally speaks up. "I just remembered I have a particular trick that has proven useful against such magic suppression in the past. Tie that rope around me and lower me down a bit."

With sword sheathed and animated shield held in hand, Ranvor takes a deep breath and holds it before descending through the portal on the end of the rope. Once there, he focuses his effort on overcoming this particular obstacle, not so different from some he has encountered before (Iron Heart Surge).

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Assuming this works, I should now be flying again and inside a comfortable bubble of air provided by Planar Bubble. A certain summoned critter may also be back momentarily if its 2 minute duration isn't up yet, but will probably just plummet to the bottom.

[Sxoa]

The foresight spell warns Memphis of the obvious impending danger as Ranvor plunges through the portal.

Ranvor's lungs burn and his brain boils as he enters the vacuum. He manages to pull off his manuever, but not before the air in his lungs explosively leaves his mouth accompanied by blood.

The summoned avoral appears and immediately begins suffocating, but it quickly drops 40 feet and winks out once again.

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You're still on the material plane. The bubble creates normal gravity temperature and the like but the airlessness is normal for the material plane.

The con check came out a 3+6=9 so you take 1 point of con damage and have started suffocating. You are correct though that you are floating.

The avoral starts suffocating because it wasn't holding it's breath. If it was then it also needs to make the con check.

[Toliudar]

Fiona

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In case it becomes relevant later: Con check for the avoral (1d20+3)[21]

Fiona bites her tongue, trying not to embarrass Ranvor by expressing her concern. Instead, experimentally, she sends her thoughts out to him, to see if they could be heard.

Ranvor? Can you hear this? Are you all right?

[Sxoa]

The telepathy comes through loud and clear

[Douglas]

Ranvor

Ranvor flies back out of the tunnel back into the emptied spike and takes a deep breath. "Whew, it's hard to hold your breath in there. If someone could deal with that problem, I can keep removing the Anti-Magic Fields as we go along, though."

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Iron Heart Surge is only a standard action, so use my move in the same round to exit before I hit the "fall unconscious" stage.

If the con damage happens after IHS, I'm immune to it because of Sheltered Vitality. If before, one at will Lesser Restoration from Ex Machina will take care of it and my con check should actually be 3 lower due to my amulet of health being suppressed.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

The solar stares at the corridor beyond, thinking.

If someone can create a gust of wind in the area beyond, I should be able to make it permanent. I can then hold onto Ranvor and lower him into the next stretch of anti-magic.

[Sxoa]

Ranvor takes a sputtering coughing breath of the dust laden air as he flees back into the main chamber of the cylinder. In a moment the dust will become too thick to see through.

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You're fine either way it seems

[TheMeanDM]

Weasel, would you be a dear and go block that entrance above us? That cube form you used should do nicely, I would think.

Gregor asks mentally.

[Douglas]

Ranvor

And could you hurry up with that gust of wind too, please? Ranvor adds weakly, thankful for the ability to say so without using his currently occupied mouth. I'm not sure how much more of this dust I can take.

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Memphis: Cast it with all but your head on the other side of the portal so you can have the point of origin over there, and make it cover only a 5' square portion of the hall, preferably aimed diagonally down and towards the side so we don't have to avoid it all the way down.

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

Wait a moment. I think I might be able to take care of this on my own - with a little help from another friend.

Again, Ex Machina focuses intently on the space before it, and another proud, winged Avoral appears.

Welcome. Pelor be praised. Beyond this portal is a an airless vaccuum, which you and I are going to fill by creating a gust of wind down one side of that corridor. It is very important that you do not put more than your arms through the portal, or you may begin choking. Do you understand?

The avoral nods, a bit uncertainly. Ex Machina and the avoral shift to float side-by-side on this side of the portal. Ex Machina puts its hand through and begins focusing. The avoral puts its arm through, and begins focusing its energy on pushing a gust of wind down the (subjective) right side of the passage. As the Gust of Wind begins to blow, the Avoral withdraws its arm, and Ex Machina seals the spell with an aura of Permanency. It waits a few seconds, then experimentally waves its arm about a bit in the portal.

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Thanks to MeanDM for pointing out this solution.

Ex Machina Summons Avoral.
Ex Machina begins creating permanency as a SLA.
Avoral creates gust of wind down one corner of the passage.
Ex Machina finishes creating permanency effect.

I'm hoping that Ex Machina will be able to tell by the pressure/air currents on its arm whether the air is filling that part of the chamber.

[Sxoa]

Ex Machina waves her arm in area of the gust of wind and feels the air blowing over her skin. Memphis's spell flares warning and the gust of wind suddenly vanishes along with it's air. Ex Machina feels her blood boil in her arm with sudden drop in pressure. She withdraws it quickly with no no ill effect.

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The antimagic field came back after 2 rounds. It's a piece of wondrous architecture/magic item so when you destroy the field it comes back in 1d4 rounds

[Toliudar]

Ex Machina

The solar withdraws its tingling arm, mildly disappointed.

Well, Pelor delights in those who are not deterred by challenges.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[TheMeanDM]

Well then. Let me think a moment.

Teliron maneuvers himself to float before the portal.

ooc:
you mentioned "architecture", so Dungeoneering should apply:

Knowledge Dungeoneering - (1d20+33)[50]

Arcana: knowledge about AMF's and how you could make one permanent (as well as how you could destroy one permanently)
Knowledge Arcana - (1d20+34)[49]