Escape from Castle Amber - IC

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran kneels down to get a closer look at the ring. After a moment of examination, if he hasn't suddenly gained some sort of insight from looking at it, he'll reach down to pick it up.

[Toliudar]

Tyz finds that the cabinet was probably an ice box of some kind - lined with some kind of now-cracked porcelain, with a drainage hole in the back. It retains that distinctively skunky smell of food that has rotted away a long time ago.

Duran examines the iron ring,and realizes that there's no weld mark - suggesting better workmanship than a simple chain. He picks it up to examine it. The soot wipes away fairly easily, and the ring remains cool to the touch, even after he's been holding it for a moment (assuming he has removed a gauntlet to handle the ring).

While neither dwarf nor halfling are exactly experts in the field of detailed searches, neither can see anything else unusual about the room. Except, of course, the above-mentioned paradoxes.

[Foobar]

Rhys

Rhys recoils from the food and follows the rest of his group through to the kitchen. He looks around with eager interest, studying the illusions.

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Spellcraft +12, taking 10 for 22. Knowledge-Arcana +10, taking 10 for 20. Any insight?

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

Moving in behind his friends, Oberon watches the smaller members of the group dig and look through items. "Any luck?" he inquires after a moment.

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Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Toliudar]

Rhys examines the servants and the associated apparitions. The fact that there is some kind of vestigial sensation upon contact with one of the servants suggests that this is not a true illusion, but a stranger phenomenon - perhaps that involving coterminous dimensions, multiple timelines, an artifact...epic magic of some kind.

[Proven_Paradox]

At Oberon's question, the dwarf looks up and replies, "Aye, here's something a bit odd..." He shows the warlock the ring he'd found. "Fine craftsmanship--you can't see a weld mark--and it's cool to the touch. I'm not sure what to make of it. Any ideas?" He offers his friend the ring.

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

With a nod, the faetouched warlock takes the ring and looks it over. "Very interesting indeed."

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I do have see invisibility active, in case that matters.
Is it regular iron, or cold iron? If the latter, I'm not touching it! I'll edit.

Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Toliudar]

The ring in Oberon's hand seems neither to be cold iron nor regular iron, but something else altogether - perhaps a primitive steel or other alloy?

The feytouched can tell that the ring is magical, showing a faint abjuration.

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

"A strange alloy, non? What do you make of the metal, DuranDuran? Regardless, it has protective magics within it," he says as he offers it back to the dwarf.

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Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran takes the ring back and says, "I'm not sure I'd trust anything I see here, but lemme take a look..."

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I'm not sure what kind of roll this would be, so here's a d20; add whatever modifiers are appropriate.

ID ring alloy: (1d20=18)

Hey, that's promising.

[Foobar]

Rhys

Rhys peers eagerly at the ring, as well. His eyes seem to unfocus as he stares deeply at it.

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Again, 22 Spellcraft, 20 Knowl-Arcana. If no useful information is available, he's happy to study it in more detail later, i.e. take 20.

[Toliudar]

Duran recognizes that the ring is definitely an iron alloy of some kind, lots of carbon, but smooth.

Rhys picks up a faint aura of abjuration from the ring - potentially a defensive enchantment of some kind.

[Foobar]

Rhys

Looks like some sort of defensive magic, which is good because we could clearly use some help. I'd need to spend a lot more time to get more than that. Maybe when we rest tonight? In the meantime, what's the plan? Where to?

Rhys tears his eyes away from the interesting ring to look around.

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran shrugs, pockets the ring, and says, "We've not enough information for a plan. The best I think we'll be able to do is just choose another door and go through it." He glances around the room once more and says, "I'm not certain wearing this ring is a good idea until we know more about what it is... Is there anything else in this room we need to check? If not, let's move on."

[North]

Tyz

Hmmph theres no food here either so I dont see any point in staying. Tyz harrumphs.

[Toliudar]

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There are no other exits from the kitchen area.

Back in the dining hall, there's a single door that hasn't been opened. There are still four doors - 3 on the north, 1 on the south - down the long hallway that haven't been opened. And there's the forest path...

[Foobar]

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The last door in the dining hall, anyone?

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

The faetouched warlock heads for the only door remaining in the dining room. With a nod to the others he flings it open and peers inside.

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Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran stands behind Oberon as he opens the door, hand resting on the hilt of his hammer.

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

"Ahchoo!" Oberon sneezes as dust or some other particulate invades his nostrils. He narrowly avoids BUMPing his head on the doorframe.

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Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Toliudar]

There is a great whooshing sound, as of the sound of three plays opening over the course of one weekend, and time begins to move forward again.

As Oberon flings the door open, the distinct smell of cat - and most specifically, cat urine - wafts through the doorway.

The room beyond the large door is grand, but barely half the size of the dining hall the five men stand in. It was clearly once an oversized bedchamber of some sort, and the remnants of a much-distressed four-poster bed are pushed up against the far wall. A figure lies curled up in the bed.

Elsewhere in the room, three other figures caper around a round table. The one on the table is dodging away from the slashing claws of the other two, who race about on the ground, giggling. A quartet of chairs lie nearby, overturned on the floor.

There are piles of bundled cloth, ragged lengths of rope and string everywhere, and the absolutely tattered remnant of a large patterned rug near the torn-up bed. A much-abused wardrobe stands against the far wall, one door part-open, but its contents obscured from view.

Oh, did I mention that the figures all look like humanoid cats? I should mention that.

The four figures are all humanoid, perhaps a little larger than a man, and bear the colouration of different breeds of housecat. None are clothed, although the two dancing around the table wear rapiers at rope belts.

The three at the table all turn to look quizzically at Oberon.

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Assume a 50'x50' room, with the door in the middle of the west wall. There is a second door roughly in the middle of the north wall. The bed is pushed up into the northeast corner, and the table is about halfway between the middle of the room and the southwest corner. Oberon is in the doorway, with Duran and Tyz behind him.

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

"Bonjour, les chats!" The warlock begins. "Would you happen to know how to exit this manse in a safe manner?"

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How'd you know I was alergic to cats?

Diplomacy - (1d20+9)[10]; thank the Maker for synergy bonuses. NOT THAT IT MATTERS WHEN THE BOARD ROLLER HATES ME!

Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Toliudar]

It's clear from the baring of fangs that these cats, like many many other uncultured people, do not speak French.

The two who had been on the table walk slinkily towards Oberon in the doorway. Are they smiling or baring fangs? Perhaps it's a cultural thing. One of the two lets out a yowl that seems to rouse the fourth, who sits up in the bed and looks over.

The one still standing on the table manages to murmur sibilantly.

We know only the doorssss, which are death. Are you newcomerssss?

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron

Oberon sighs and looks at the doorway in which he stands. "These doors are death?" He looks over his shoulder at his friends. "Be ready. Obviously they are uncultured and probably hostile, since they don't speak proper language," the faetouched grins.

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Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran frowns at the occupants of the room--never had been a cat lover. He whispers, "This is just too strange for me. You handle this one, Oberon."

[Toliudar]

The cat-man who spoke first splutters for a moment.

Not these doors, the front -

The one on the table interjects in a commanding tone - and harshly accented speech.

What's the point? Let's eat them.

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Initiative and first action, please, folks!

[GimliFett]

Oberon

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HP: 22/22 AC: 18, t 13, ff 15; DR 2/cold iron
Initiative - (1d20+3)[11]

Oberon sighs again and raises his hands to blast the cat-man on the table. "So be it, Chat!" he says as he flings the eldritch energy at the apparent leader of the group.

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Attack - (1d20+6)[17]; +1 PBS w/in 30'.
Crit - (1d20+6)[23]; +1 PBS w/in 30'.
Damage - (3d6)[8]; +1 PBS w/in 30'.

Ring of Four Winds: 4 charges remaining.
Gloves of Eldritch Admixture: 3 charges remaining.
Healing Belt: 3 charges remaining.

Active Effects: See the Unseen (see invisiblity & darkvision 60'); Sylvan Step (+10 land speed, trackless step, woodland stride).

[Proven_Paradox]

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With Mythweavers down, Duran currently doesn't have a sheet. Hopefully this will blow over soon, but if it doesn't, shall I just try to remember how it looked?

[GimliFett]

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You can always look through the thread for your modifiers to attack and damage rolls. I've had to do that to rebuild a couple of characters!

[Proven_Paradox]

Duran sighs and speaks with a grim tone. "And yet again, it comes to violence. So be it." He chants a short prayer and touches the head of his hammer, blessing it with the might of the All Father.

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Initiative: (1d20)[3]
First round: Unless something changes before his turn, casting Magic Weapon.

-edit- Yuck. That seems rather likely, too.