The Statue Shatters (Eberron Round-Robin IC Chapter 1)

[Asmodeus]

"Hullo... what have we here?"

The artificer moves over to pick up the parchment and get a better look.

[Xian]

The rumpled parchment is inscribed with runes, complex diagrams, and multiple incantations; it must be a spell of some sort. I looks as if the same spell was inscribed twice to double the scroll's usefulness, but the lower copy is smudged and covered with dark splashes of....something, rendering the second charge useless.

[fireinthedust]

Jo sees the warforged move forward and take up the parchment, before himself moving forward into the palace entrance. His mindblade is in hand, and his eyes scan the room for any threats he may have missed the first time.

Let's find some stairs up. We need to get to one of the bridges fast. I'll take point

ooc: Jo moves in, looking for steps up.

[Asmodeus]

The artificer attempts to decipher the scroll...

SpellCraft - (1d20+10)[19] DC 20 + spell level

Edit: Actually a 21. Forgot a +2 from synergy.

[Son_of_Meepo]

If the artificer can't figure out the scroll, Mirror will cast read magic and take a look at it.

[Mantid]

Celvic nods and follows Jo, moving slowly and keeping his distance so the kalashtar can scout.

[Goblin Music]

look at the earth, disturbance! this entry is well used friends. Rarinn says

Rarinn looks to see if any of the tracks are fresh
survival - (1d20+8)[15]

[Xian]

((Broadcasting live from the Monterey Library, it's me, your GM at the only web-enabled computer he can find.))

The stairs directly ahead are broad and sturdy. Though one would think the stairs would split to the left and right to curve around up to the next floor, the architects went with an asymmetrical design and the stairs curve only up to the left.

The spell becomes clear to the warforged as he studies it; the scroll contains one casting of Daylight.

Rarinn's tracking skills pick apart information that would have eluded others; these tracks vary in age, but the most recent ones were made within the past day or so, possibly even as recent as last night.

[Asmodeus]

Th artificer will show the scroll to the cleric and, ask if he wants to keep it, explaining what it is if necessary.

If not, he'll keep it for himself.

[fireinthedust]

ic:

Jo likewise takes a look at the tracks, the moment Rarinn points them out.

ooc: Jo's survival check: 1d20+5=24
woo!

[Xian]

Jo'Natar:

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Because the doorway is so well-used, it's hard to distinguish much from the tracks as they run over each other so much as to create a blurred path. Two things are certain though:
1. Whatever makes them walks on pairs of legs, probably bipeds or quadrupeds.
2. There are hints of claws; how big they are is uncertain, but whatever makes these tracks and uses this path probably has them.

[fireinthedust]

Jo'Natar:

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Because the doorway is so well-used, it's hard to distinguish much from the tracks as they run over each other so much as to create a blurred path. Two things are certain though:
1. Whatever makes them walks on pairs of legs, probably bipeds or quadrupeds.
2. There are hints of claws; how big they are is uncertain, but whatever makes these tracks and uses this path probably has them.

Xian:

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do the claw marks look like they could be from whatever killed the dwarf? Maybe ghouls?

IC: Whatever makes these tracks walks on pairs of legs, and they have claws. I'm thinking a nest of ghouls, maybe, or whatever killed that dwarf. Otherwise, let's go!

Jo moves up the steps carefully, on the prowl for deadfalls and monsters.

[Mantid]

Celvic waves at the scroll. "Keep it," he tells the artificer. "You'll likely make better use of it then I can. If Jo'Natar's suspicions are right, it may need it soon, and if he is wrong, I'm sure Onatar will help you work it into something greater."

Celvic continues to follow Jo, keeping back and waiting for the Kalastar to signal to advance.

[Son_of_Meepo]

The spell becomes clear to the warforged as he studies it; the scroll contains one casting of Daylight.

(OOC: Is it an arcane scroll or a divine scroll? Daylight can be either. Of course this is Eberron, so if an artificer scribed it, it's actually neither.)

Mirror decides to speak up as the warforged and Celvic are discussing the scroll.

"Friend, do you know if that scroll is arcane magic or divine? While I would have a much easier time using a scroll scribed by an arcanist's hand, I believe I would ultimately be able to use either form. It could be an alternative should both of you have something better to do at the time its use becomes obvious."

[Xian]

Xian:

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do the claw marks look like they could be from whatever killed the dwarf? Maybe ghouls?

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It is possible, but there's not enough evidence to suggest more than a theoretical relation.

(OOC: Is it an arcane scroll or a divine scroll? Daylight can be either. Of course this is Eberron, so if an artificer scribed it, it's actually neither.)

((Huh, I forgot about that distinction, in all honesty. For simplicity's sake and better ease-of-use, we'll go with artificer-scribed this time.))

The grand staircase winds up and around the walls, overlapping itself several times before ending at a balcony about 30 feet up.. The top of the stairs provide what must have been a once-magnificent view of the entry hall below. Lighting the chandelier, now at approximately eye-level, by mundane means must have been a vertigo-inducing experience. One of the two doors off the balcony is somewhat ajar.

[Son_of_Meepo]

Mirror slips up to the front of the group toward the open door. His lithe mithral frame wedges itself into the opening and beyond.

[Asmodeus]

{OOC: I'm back!}

Following Mirror, the other warforged in the group exhibits much less stealth, but he follows his companion anyways, just from a respectable distance.

[Xian]

The room beyond is as massive as the entry hall, though perhaps a bit "shorter" in height. Two chandeliers hang from the ceiling here, but are substantially smaller; many tall windows along the rounded walls allow the cold gray light from outside to shine in. It is completely empty, giving it a cavernous feeling. The style and finish of the parquet floor suggest that the room might have been used as an audience chamber, or perhaps a dance hall, as the flooring is designed to impress as well as be durable for high amounts of traffic. Indeed, it hardly seems scuffed at all!

Directly across is a pair of double doors that lead to a balcony on the outside of the building.

[Asmodeus]

"Jonatar, do you recognize this place?"

[fireinthedust]

No, I wasn't in the palace often. My work was less high-brow. I think we should head up to the bridges, get across the water as fast as possible. Unless that scroll you've found came from a likely source. Think it's from a rival party, like that dwarf?

[Mantid]

Celvic plays little attention what lingering beauty and craftsmanship that still lingers in the room. He scans the room with a cold, determined gaze, finally setting his eyes on the double doors across the way.

"I feel that the Sovereigns would have use continue through here," he says. Marching across the room, he kicks the doors open.

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Here, doors open.

[Xian]

Crashing open, the doorway allows a blast of chill air to flow in, making the chamber colder than before. The snow-covered balcony is large and quite stable, though some of the ornate guardrails have crumbled away. Going left is another wide stone staircase, spiraling around the outside of the palace to give a grand view of the city below. As it curves, it meets another balcony a few floors up.

[Asmodeus]

The artificer starts climbing the stairs. He's got a gut feeling that there is danger ahead, and he wants to be the one who stands in its way, rather than his more exposed companions.

[fireinthedust]

Jo follows behind the warforged, albeit from a respectable distance: he too expects danger, and allows himself the space to cover the warforged with his mindblade.

[Xian]

The next landing is similar to the first, both in size and design. Another set of steps continue up and around, though a rusted gateway blocks the way. The gateway is in such sorry condition, though, that even the most novice rogue or greenest warrior could open it, either by skill or by force.

A pair of double doors leading into the palace are on this landing as well. Made mostly of glass (and surprisingly whole), they offer a view into the room beyond. Said room can be seen to have one large round table; it was likely either used as a conference room or perhaps a dining hall.

[Mantid]

"This seems too easy," Celvic mumbles while peering through the glass to the next room. "We've traveled nearly a mile in this torn land and have encountered only one obstacle. Does Olladra favor us so strongly in such a dark land?"

Celvic shakes his head. "Such foolish thoughts. The Sovereigns protect their servant," he tells himself, reaching out to open the doors.

[Asmodeus]

The warforged scans the ceiling and the top of the tower if possible, trying to get an idea of how much higher they will need to go.

[Xian]

It is difficult to see anything through the glass doors. Though it is not very bright outside, the light is enough to offset being able to peer through the darkness within.

The second balcony is approximately 50' from the ground and about one-third of the way to the top. Speaking of which, the tower seems to simply stop at the top, implying that the roof is flat rather than peaking to a spire. The side closest to the waterfront has a bridge that springs off of the top of the tower across the way to its twin on the other side.

[Asmodeus]

The warforged is going to try and find a way to the bridge. If he gets there, he'll spend a moment examining its condition, to see if its stable.

[fireinthedust]

Jo likewise follows suit, moving up the steps and towards the bridge.

I'd love to stay and look through Metrol, see if there are any clues to the Mourning or trinkets to bring back to Oargev; but we just don't have the time!

Question: the steps going up to the bridge-area: are they on the other side of the glass door?