LitD [IC]

[cintain]

Markus

Are you sure, Fethen? These seem like an awful lot of prints. Markus leans down and looks at them more closely, trying to discern how many people have passed this way.

Spoiler

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rolling to see if I can make some sense of the footprints...
Survival - (1d20+3)[9]

Shouldn't we go see what's on the other side of the door?

[Thalmor]

Looking at the foot prints, Ye be right Cintain those indeed be a lot of prints, maybe we are not the only ones here.

OCC: is there any way we can tell where the prints either come from or lead too? (Wish the ranger hadn't disappeared)

If I knew how to open it would.

[Timaoh]

As Thoric stands near the footprints a loud rumble can be heard as metal grates on metal and you hear the sounds of locks and large tumblers working from the direction of the doorway.

dun dun dun!






As you approach the once closed door you find that the portal has been thrown wide and the large circular entrance has one figure standing at its centre. There is dim ilumination coming from behind the tall figure as he stands on the threshold longspear in hand and garbed in dark armor that seems to writhe with life in the dim flickering light. He guestures you all closer as though he was expecting your arrival with a wave of a guantleted fist.

"Come quickly we need to close the portal before 'they' know it is open. I can offer you shelter for a short time... there is much to be discussed."


((OOC) @ Thoric The track feat is the only way i know of.)

[cintain]

Markus

Who are "they"?Who are you? You seem to somehow have been expecting us. Why should we trust you?

((OoC: what does this creature look like? is it human, githyanki, or what?))

Spoiler

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K:Dungeoneeering - (1d20+6)[21] in case he's from an underground species or aberration

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Aye, indeed, who are you? How were yea able to open the door? As he take a defensive posture infront of the two spell casters.

(OCC I figured that was the only way, maybe I will take a level or two of ranger)

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen looks at the creature warily and then steps forward through the door way with the creature. He seems disgrunteled and in dispair, resigned to whatever fate this cavern from hell dishes out to him.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

As Fethen move past Thoric move to maintain position between Fethen and this new creature.

[Solaphti]

Rhoxius

The figure in the shadows gestures more quickly to the others as Fethen nears the door. Come on now, hurry. There is no time for questions. I must get the portal closed. 'They' will know that it is open.

[cintain]

Markus

Drawing his crossbow and holding it beside him, Markus takes a step forward.

We might as well, Thoric, he says to the dwarf in a low voice. We were pondering what might be on the other side of the door anyway. Just be ready...

Markus turns to the stranger on the portal and says, if we come with you, will you explain this? who you are, why you are helping us, and who "they" are?

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Nodding Thoric says, Aye Markus, at least we are through this door. Only time will tell if it was a wise decision or not. he then proceeds throught the door looking all around the room to see what it holds for him and his companions. To Markus he says I'm always ready.

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spot - (1d20+1)[3]

Wow that was a crappy spot

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Once everyone is inside the room, Thoric, says Well lets get this door closed

[Timaoh]

As the door swings open you can all see a well lit hallway that stretches further than you can see even though it is well lit it blends into doorways and other halls in the distance that look similar to the hallway you are all now standing in.

As you enter the stranger before you speaks a weird sounding phrase which seems to ring with power and the door quickly begins to close behind you shutting off any means of escape. Unlike in the caverns outside the door the air in the halls is quite fresh and doesn't smell musty at all. Instead you can see well swept hallways with tapestries and valuables lining the halls as though this were any castle from your homelands. Tables fashioned of crystal and decorative weapons adorn the sides of the halls as you are urged to follow your new host straight ahead and then taking the first left ionto a very large and spacious chamber shaped like a large sphere.

The chamber itself is perfectly round around the outside edges and in the exact centre a series of cylindrical tubes stem from nothing suspended in mid air. At the very centre of the chamber and surrounded my the columns are 4 delicate square prisms fashioned of 4 different coloured crystals. Each of which casts a strange glow along the walls and cylinders which upon closer inspection are made out of the same black rock substance that you saw outside in the caverns in flecks and sheets. The light itself is being spun into cords of light and is being reflected off the walls and collumns from the prisims until it meets at several points near a hole that seems out of place in the perfect chamber. The small pile of rubble and dust floating near the three figures you see channeling the energy suggests the the breech in the wall is no accident.

The three figures pay you no attention as you enter the room as they all seem to be concentrating on maintaining a large ward over the hole in the chamber. The three of them in unison are pouring light and energy at the opening as on the other side kobolds shriek and throw stones at the opening trying to breach it, it would seem.

Without looking one of the men speaks over his shoulder addressing all of you. "I appologise if Rhoxius has not introduced himself or explained things particularly well. There is much he cannot explain because he is told little as will all of you be told little for your continued safety and our own." The man's words are pronounced perfectly as though he were speaking to you each in your own tongue. His clear enunciation and diction matching that of someone you would find in your home town, and it suprises you and fills you with emotion at being so far removed from familiar surroundings. "For now i will tell you what i can from what i know. Regretably that is far less than i would like to know or admit as that proves just how blind we all truely are right now." He continues clearly lost in his own thoughts and half memories even as he continues chanting and working along with the other two to maintain the defence they have put in place to seal the hole in the chamber.

His attention back on the situation unfolding he continues. "You were summoned here for reasons that are still unclear to me at the moment. Who actually did the summoning is also a mystery to me but also a blessing for we are in great need of assistance as you can see. There are few of us left who can be trusted and fewer still who are able of mind and body for what must be done. We have two tasks or 'favors' if you will that must be remedied. While one is more of an immediate threat the other is less so and while time is still vital we can only do so much with what is available to us. The kobolds on the other side of this ward are trying to breach our last lines of defence. We were unaware of their pressence in such large numbers and were caught off guard by their sappers and have been unsucessful in our attempts to disuade them from attacking.
We believe that some of them may be under the influence of our real enemies and the threat to all of us. MIND FLAYERS! They have infiltrated our ranks and sent our own against us even going as far as to weaken our defences to the point of uselessness. However we also have them at our mercy and they..." He stops mid sentence. "I have said too much. Your first task, which you will be well rewarded for assisting us is to stop these attacks against us by the Kobolds. We have reason to believe that their king may be under the influence of the Illithids and that is why he is attacking. We knew of several tribes existing and have had peace with them as we left them alone and they left us alone. Now they attack and we don't know why. Please discover the reason and resolve the matter in whatever manner you see fit. If you do this what little we can offer will be yours and while we may not have riches of your worlds we do posses knowledge that may be able to help you return to your own lands. We will have more time to discuss these things when you return from your first task. I will also send Rhoxius with you he is of little use to us here as his skills cannot help unless they breach our defences which these sorry wretches will not do."

The three continue to chant tirelessly and you sense no fatigue or weariness in them. They are sustained by something otherworldy. Even as you ponder what might cause this you discover that you are yourself invigorated and well rested where you stand as though you had slept for countless nights in a row and only awoke minutes ago. You also note that your pangs of thirst and hunger have been satisfied by your brief visit to the spherical chamber.

NEWEST MAP!

[cintain]

Markus

Markus takes a step forward, trying to discern the working of the strange creatures in maintaining the hole closed.

Spoiler

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K:dungeoneering - (1d20+6)[26] to see what race they are
psicraft - (1d20+8)[18] to see what they're doing

Are my power points replenished?

If we decide to help you, how would we go about going after the kobolds? Unless you intend us to go in there fighting, a little direction would be appreciated.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Slowly moves towards the opening, where the figures are holding the Kobolds at bay. he looks at Markus and Fethen do either of yea have anything that would help us in this prosposed battle? If we decide to help I can block the opening and keep most of them at bay. Yea procved yearselves aganist the Otlygh, so what ever yea decide I'm on board

[Solaphti]

Rhoxius

Step back dwarf, there's safer ways to get to the kobolds. Rhoxius turns toward the hallway where they entered the large room and pauses in front of the opening. I know the way and we can talk once we get going. There's no point standing around wasting time, they can't keep the ward up for much more than a few days. He takes a step into the hallway and turns to his left waiting for the others to follow.

[Greyen]

Fethen

The mage looks around the room and certain things begin to sink in. A glitter of hope flashes in his eyes. With renewed vigor he calls to Rhoxus Hold just a moment , errr....Rhoxus, right? Allow me a moment to prepare my mind for further travels. Fethen takes a moment and pulls out his spell book rememorizing a few lines before looking up. I'm ready. A hint of hope and relief can clearly be seen on his face as he looks forward to escape and release.

[cintain]

Markus

Markus looks at Rhoxius with a strange glimmer in his eye. He pulls out a crossbow and loads it.

Let it never be said that Markus Marabigul forsook an opportunity to fight his way through a mineful of kobolds, he says as he levels the weapon briefly.

He turns to the men holding the breach. You drive a hard bargain, whoever you are... but I'll expect some answers when I come back.
Come along, master Thoric. I get the feeling we've just been given the closest thing we'll see to a glimmer of hope in this mess.

Markus draws up his cowl and follows Fethen and Rhoxius out of the chamber.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Aye, Indeed Markus. I think its time for me to split some skulls with me ax. Says with a brig grin across his face, as he follows the other three out of the room. Yea best let me get in front, to help keep the nasty lizards away from yea

[Greyen]

Fethen

As Fethen wallks he again pulls out his tuiny shield and chants for a moment. A shimmer coalesces around him and he puts the shield away again. Much better. Fethen stands tall again, looking no longer haggard and wear worn. He grips his crossbow dropping a bolt into place and walks confidently.

[Timaoh]

As Rhoxius leads the way and you all follow behind you realise just how large this place must be. There are several hallways that you pass as you walk and each one seems to branch off into others in the darkness. Only the main hallway is lit with torches that produce no smoke or heat and as you move along you finally come to a well. At the bottom of the well there are coins scattered and the water gurgling up from the base seems clean and clear as you pass by. Rhoxius continues forward past the fountain without stopping heading for an opening opposite the one you entered from. Once around the corner he stops and fumbles with something in a pouch finally producing a ring of keys. Selecting two of the keys in what seems either a completely random or rehersed fashion as they all seem the same. He carefully inserts the two keys into the door in front of him turning each a full 360 degrees he finally pushes on the door and removes the keys as it slides forward and then off to the left into the wall.

As you continue down the hallway Rhoxius stops several more times at doors that resemble the others perfectly and after producing different or the same keys each time he opens the door. The only difference is the direction that the doors slide as they peel away from the walls. (The order the doors dissapear is Left, Down, Up, Right, 4 corner split) The last door divides itself evenly into 4 pieces each of which slides into the wall it is against.

As you peer past Rhoxius you can see that the tunnel which was well-worked and even breaks away into uneven and often very narrow tunnels. Unfortunately it would seem that you will have to travel in single file and squeeze through openings in many places. What else would be expected of kobold warrens? Cursing your fates as you move forward you hear the faint sound of a door sliding into place behind you as you assume the first door closes. 20 seconds later a second sound can be heard. The doors must be on timers because they are closing in sucession. In order to get out of the way of the last door you will need to move further into the warrens or one of you will be left behind or maimed by the door's mechanism.

You can hear faint echoes and voices twisting their way through the caverns but the sounds could be coming from anywhere the way the tunnels twist and wind through the rock.

MAP!

[Solaphti]

Rhoxius

As they step through the last door, Rhoxius puts the keys away and unsheaths his longspear. You said you wanted to be in front, didn't you dwarf? Now's your chance. He motions for Thoric to step in front of him saying. Our best approach will be to remain unseen and unnoticed until we can find the king or whoever is in charge of the kobold attacks. We should only fight as a last resort. My brother and the others should be able to hold them off for a few days if things remain the way they are but we should still make haste.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Aye I did. Thoric moves to the front of the group and will continue till he reaches a branch in the path.

[Greyen]

Fethen

Fethen falls in second to last, in the middle of the group. He makes sure there is at least ten feet between him and the next. He makes sure to close distance if needed to keep in line of sight with the next person.

[cintain]

Markus

Not wanting to contradict anyone, Markus takes the last spot in the line, watching Rhoxius intently (trying to figure out what race he's from).

How long have you, your brother and your friends been here, Rhoxius? What is the purpose of this place?

Spoiler

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K:Dungeoneering - (1d20+6)[14] to see if I can identify their race, now that I got a look at the brother

[Timaoh]

Markus

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You can't identify the race further than that they are Gith. You could always ask or try to pry more information out of the situation as things unfold.

[Solaphti]

Rhoxius

Rhoxius continues on through the tunnels while answering Markus's questions. Well we've been here long enough to know that things aren't going well. I've seen what's been happening here, and it's not pretty. I guess you'd say we've been here longer than you have. He pauses and seems to search the air for a way to continue his answer. This place is just another place I've been to, it's purpose is that it is simply here. Here for our use and here to enable us to prosper.

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Pausing in the tunnel, Thoic says. So are we ready to start this fight. Is there anything the rest of yea need to do before I start cracking some heads?

[Timaoh]

sorry it took so long but here is the new map. You can talk about where you want to go but you should more than likely use some means of telling me where you would like to go. It's one big maze so the first post after i update the map will be able to choose the direction the party takes. IF you disagree you are free to venture off in a different direction on your own.

I would recomend that you stick together and keep the marching order as it is but that's up to you as well.

NEW MAP!

[Thalmor]

Thoric

Looking over his shoulder, Thoric Well lets get this started. He then moves slowly towards the 'T' in the tunnel. When I get there I will stop, listen and look

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[roll=listen]roll1d20+1[/roll]
[roll=spot]roll1d20+1[/roll]

[Greyen]

(ooc- still here, Fethen's just following along. He will make sure there's 10 feet between everyone)