The Center Cannot Hold [Group A]

[Skjaldbakka]

Narrotor
You are in a remote corner of the empire, traveling through a thick forested area, in search of a mansion that supposedly belonged to a powerful red wizard of a lost empire. You were hoping to clear the mansion of anything that might be living there now, and claim any remaining magic you can find. Perhaps you could even use such a place as a base of operations to begin your rebellion against the empire.

Narrotor
A stately manor with a flat roof and picturesque support columns rises before you. The area around the manor is overgrown, and there is neither smoke nor noise coming from within. The wooden front double doors are decorated with a stylized carving pf a cloud with puffed-out cheeks. Judging by the lack of a beaten path leading up to the manor, it seems unlikely that anyone has been here in a long, long time.

OOC: Knowledge History and Seach checks, please.
The part of the mansion you can see is 80ft. wide, with large wooden double doors in the center, and a large window 10ft. to either side of the door. The mansion appears to have but one story. If you circle around, you will find:

Spoiler

Show

three windows on each 70' side, and two windows on the back wall.

There is heavy vegetation that blocks the windows, which also appear to have heavy red curtains on the inside. It would take about 5 minutes to clear a path to a window, using mundane means. The main door has significantly less obstruction (the path to it is considered 'hindered terrain', but is passable).

Our Intrepid Heroes:
Moran Kerro
Grim Petros
Hortek
Vimak 'Stonefist'Vaimei-Laga
Ali'Anspar
Adelard Kranet

[Kyeudo]

Grim

"Took us long enough to get here." Grim adjusts his shaders, his greathammer resting casualy on his armored shoulder, then surveys the scene before him. "Well, this place sure is a mess."

[Chineselegolas]

Ali'Anspar

Re-wrapping the strips of cloth around his hands looking ahead at the mansion, Ali looked over at Grim, "Indeed, though out the way is rather good place to stage against the empire."

Spoiler

Show

history - (1d20+1)[3]
search - (1d20+2)[20]

[Skjaldbakka]

There is no sign of any inhabitants, and the door does not appear to be locked or trapped.

[Agthorr]

Hortek

As he examines the area, Hortek wonders to himself, "I wonder if this wizard died of old age... or something worse." Hortek peers between any gaps in the vegetation (without disturbing it) to see what can be seen through each of the windows. "I am once again thankful for darkvision."

Rolls:

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge (history): (1d20+5)[18](23)
Search: (1d20+18)[8](26)

[playswithfire]

Vimak

Well, most things that'd kill a wizard would've done more damage to the property, I'd think. But what do I know of such things? Vimak heads towards the vegetation in front of the windows, distrusting the easier path in this instance.

Spoiler

Show

History (1d20+7)[17]
Search (1d20-1)[7]

[purepolarpanzer]

Atleast the place still stands. It'd be a shame to come here for a pile of rubble.
Though maybe considerably safer. This place smells of decay.
Moran pads along behind the others. Though his bow is across his back, one of his hands still clutches an unseen weapon. He pulls the top of his cloak a bit higher against a sudden chill, and his fingers turn white against the invisible weapon.
And decay means death.

Spoiler

Show

History (1d20+5)[10] Search (1d20+1)[20] In Phantom Hail Stance, currently.

[Kyeudo]

Ali'Anspar

Re-wrapping the strips of cloth around his hands looking ahead at the mansion, Ali looked over at Grim, "Indeed, though out the way is rather good place to stage against the empire."

Grim

"Meh. I don't care who runs the world so long as they stay out of my way." Grim rubs his bare chin for a moment, then goes to check the front doors.

Spoiler

Show

Forgot to roll my checks.
Knowledge(History):(1d20+10)[26]
Search:(1d20+2)[9] +2 if metal or stone.

Are the front doors locked?

[MeklorIlavator]

My Father believed something like that. He though if he stayed out of His way, never drew attention to himself, that he would be ignored. Still, if you wait while the one in charge takes away everyone else, who will speak up for you when they come for you?
Adelard moves closer to the doors, attempting to puzzle out what the figure means, unconsciously moving his polearm into a the crook of his arm.

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge History:(1d20+7)[24]
Search:[roll]1d20+1[roll]
Knowledge Religion on figure on front door:(1d20+8)[18]
Stance: Bolstering Voice
AC:21(Touch12, FF19), Fort:8, Ref:5, Will:5, HP:52

[Kyeudo]

My Father believed something like that. He though if he stayed out of His way, never drew attention to himself, that he would be ignored. Still, if you wait while the one in charge takes away everyone else, who will speak up for you when they come for you?

"My hammer."

[purepolarpanzer]

And my arrows.

[Skjaldbakka]

Unless you have some special ability to move through vegetation (such as woodland stride) you cannot get to the vegetation without an escape artist check, DC 20, or taking the time to clear away the vegetation, which will take an hour, unless you use magic or fire. From what you can see from here, their appears to be curtains on the inside oof the windows, so you wouldn't be able to see anything anyway.

Ack, can't see past roll results in this window. I'll edit in more in a few minutes.

Knowledge Results:

Religion 15+:

Spoiler

Show

The cloud symbol is not a religous device.

History 15+:

Spoiler

Show

This manor is built in the style of the Merithians, but the building seems perfectly preserved. The cloud is a Merithian good luck sign. The Merithians were an ancient empire that ruled 1000 years ago.

The front door does not appear to be locked or trapped.

[Kyeudo]

Grim

Unshouldering his hammer, Grim sets to work clearing a path through the vegatation. The adamantine greathammer tears through the brush and woody vines as if it was paper.

[Skjaldbakka]

An hour later, you clear the way to a window. It looks like there are heavy red curtains on the inside of the window, which obsure your view. You can see through a little bit in the middle, though, and see the other side of a hallway on the window to the right, and the other side of a hallway with a door through the window on the left.

Action interrupted.

[Agthorr]

Hortek

Hortek watches Grim cutting vines with a hammer, and wonders What kind of mad world am I living in?.

Hortek walks up to the front door, opens it, and looks inside.

Spoiler

Show

Search: (1d20+18)[5](23)
Spot: (1d20+11)[19](30)
Listen: (1d20+11)[4](15)

[Kyeudo]

((I'm not the one who wrote the rules on smashing stuff. Adamantine chews up other inanimate objects, regardless of what kind of damage the weapon deals. I could mow a lawn with this hammer.))

[Skjaldbakka]

As you move through the doorway, two skeletal hands leap down at you. You knock them easily to the side, and they shatter against the floor, and crumble to dust.

OOC: these are much too low CR to bother with PbP combat. And now, the 'box text':

Narrator
Slightly dusty corridors stretch out to the north, west, and east. Hundreds of small imprints appear in the dust, along with some nearly faded footprints leading to the east. The ceiling is about 10ft. high, and the floor is covered in intricate tile work depicting a woman pointing her hand at a wild-haired barbarian who is falling over dead.

The door opens to a T intersection. The east section goes for 35 ft. and then turns north, after running past one of the large windows with red curtains. The west corridor runs a like distance, but is interrupted by a door on the north wall after fifteen feet. The north corridor runs all the way to the back wall of the mansion, with two doors on the west side, and one door on the east side.

DC 15(20 w/o low-light vision) Spot

Spoiler

Show

You see a spot of blood on the floor 40ft. ahead in the north corridor

OOC: Actually, adamantine just ignores the hardness. Which mitigates the fact you deal half damage when you try to cut through vegetation with a hammer. Net result: 0 advantage. Which is neither here nor there, as the door is now open.

[Agthorr]

Hortek

Standing in the doorway, Hortek remarks, "Anyone have skill at interpreting footprints? There are lots of little marks in the dust, and a few old footprints, and a spot of blood."

OOC: Is the blood old or fresh? Hortek had rolled 30 on the Spot check and has darkvision.

[Skjaldbakka]

The blood looks fresh. As an experienced character, you can know blood doesn't stay fresh like that more than a minute or two.

[Kyeudo]

Grim

Looking down at the bloodstains, Grim shrugs. "Looks like we arn't the first ones here. Let's hope they haven't taken anything good yet."

OOC: The half damage thing is non-standard, but it doesn't realy matter. I can still take a wall down without much trouble.

[Skjaldbakka]

Spoiler

Show

Point 1: We actually have an OOC thread.
Point 2:

Ineffective Weapons
Certain weapons just can’t effectively deal damage to certain objects.

[playswithfire]

Grim

Looking down at the bloodstains, Grim shrugs. "Looks like we arn't the first ones here. Let's hope they haven't taken anything good yet."

Vimak
Cracking the knuckles of one hand in the otherWell, I'm sure we can take it back if we have to. Anyone care which way we go? Doesn't matter to me.

Spoiler

Show

Dropping into Island of Blades because i haven't mentioned my stance yet

[purepolarpanzer]

If that blood tells us anything, it's that they didn't manage to take anything at all.
Moran prepares to journey inside the house. He speaks a word softly, drawing a torch from his quiver that burns with cold heat. Securing it on the outside of his back pack, he is somewhat relieved by the light that washes around him, illuminating his surroundings. With a deft movement he draws his bow, already stringed, from across his back. The finely crafted oak, well polished and smooth to the touch, gleams in the dim light. He smiles slightly, remembering better times as he fingered the intricate carvings his father had crafted into the bow, before snapping out of it and turning back to his companions.
Now, let’s get started. Should we split up, or stay as one group? And if we split, what will the groups be?

[Kyeudo]

If that blood tells us anything, it's that they didn't manage to take anything at all.

Grim

"If whoever's blood this is had died here, there would be a body. Since there's no body, he probably still lives and may be wandering around this dump still." Grim turns slowly around, looking down each of the corridors. "Looks like we should start checking rooms. May as well start with this one." Grim heads for the first door on the west side of the north corridor and checks to see if its locked.

[Agthorr]

Hortek

"Splitting up is a good way to get killed."

Then, seeing where Grim is headed, he says, "Best to let me do that, friend. It could be trapped.". Hortek proceeds toward the first door on the west side of the north corridor, checking for traps, secret doors, and anything else out of the ordinary as he goes. Once at the door, he checks it for traps too. If all is clear, he puts his ear to the door and listens.

Spoiler

Show

Search: (1d20+18)[23]
Listen: (1d20+11)[22]

[MeklorIlavator]

Adelard

Or whatever killed him took the body. Things need to eat something. Splitting up is definitely a bad idea.
Adelard shifts his backpack slightly, so as to better reach it, and pulls out torch much like Morans, heading towards Hortek in the meantime. Those close to him notice he seems to be constantly muttering under his breathe some phrase as some sort of strange litany.

Spoiler

Show

Takes out Everburning torch.
Saying underbreathe:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
So sue me, its a good chant.

Stance: Bolstering Voice(+2 to allies will saves, +4 vs fear)
AC:21(Touch12, FF19), Fort:8, Ref:5, Will:7(9 vs fear), HP:52

[Skjaldbakka]

Hortek proceeds toward the first door on the west side of the north corridor, checking for traps, secret doors, and anything else out of the ordinary as he goes. Once at the door, he checks it for traps too. If all is clear, he puts his ear to the door and listens.

I am going to assume this is standard operating procedure from this point forward, and make all necessary rolls for you (unless you get to it first). Can I assume you are going to continue on around to the left, checking doors as you go, unless you find something to change your mind (such as a room with stuff in it worth paying attention to?).

[Kyeudo]

I am going to assume this is standard operating procedure from this point forward, and make all necessary rolls for you (unless you get to it first). Can I assume you are going to continue on around to the left, checking doors as you go, unless you find something to change your mind (such as a room with stuff in it worth paying attention to?).

((I'm good with it. Just tell me when we find locked doors. I brought a key. ))

[Agthorr]

Hortek

I am going to assume this is standard operating procedure from this point forward, and make all necessary rolls for you (unless you get to it first). Can I assume you are going to continue on around to the left, checking doors as you go, unless you find something to change your mind (such as a room with stuff in it worth paying attention to?).

OOC: Yes.

[Skjaldbakka]

Narrator:A ragged straw mattress almost completely fills this tiny room, barely leaving enough room for the small, poorly-built wooden trunk at its base. The room is very neat and tidy, except for a slight layer of dust that covers everything.

The first room you come to is empty. Turning the corner, you see a long hallway, with three stained glass windows, each depicting scenes from what you guess are the Merithian war against the barbarians. There is intricate tilework on the floor here that matches the middle window. There is a series of five doors on the east side of the hallway. The first leads to an empty room identical to the last one. As you move forward to open the next door . . .

[OOC] OK, now my break is over, so I'll finish that sentence in about 50 minutes. [/OOC]

. . . The stained glass window slides into the hallway, its shape breaking apart, and forming a large amorphous blob, which lashes out at Grim Petros and Hortek. (it got a suprise round and won initiative on the party). Its psuedopod fails to connect on Grim Petros, but strikes Hortek for 8 points of damage, and the psuedopod seems to be covered in some kind of powerful adhesive. The creature drags Hortek under its bulk, and crushes him into the ground for an additional 6 damage. (Hortek is pulled into the creature's space, and is considered in a grapple. It took the -20 to still threaten the squares around it).

Initiative:

Creature: 21 (surprise and 1st round actions included above)
Adelard: 17
Grim Petros: 16
Hortek (13)
Ali'Anspar (9)
Moran Kerro (6)
Stonefist (4)

OOC: DC 17 Knowledge: Dungeoneering to identify the creature as a Mimic. DC 27 to know about its special qualities. One special quality that Hortek is now aware of is the adhesive surface of the creature. You cannot escape the grapple due to the gluey substance covering the mimic.

Map:

Spoiler

Show

*BEGIN 0 0 rs 0
*s 0 -96 bv rs 0 *s -1 gd 2e rs 0 0 5p 2e gd 2e *s -1 30 60 rs 0
@0 -1o 60 30 60 *s -1 60 60 rs 0 0 1c 60 60 60 *s -1 2c 60 rs 0
@73 2c 60 10 60 *s -1 50 60 rs 0 73 3o 60 50 60 *s -1 3o 60 rs 0
@9zabk 2c 60 3o 60 *s -1 o 60 rs 0 0 o 60 o -3c *s -1 60 60 rs 0
@0 60 60 60 -3c *s -1 60 1c rs 0 0 -4o 1c 60 1c *s -1 bk 4u rs 0
@0 bk 4u 88 4u 88 -1u *s -1 30 5c rs 0 0 30 5c -c 5c *s -1 2o 20
@rs 0 0 0 20 2o 20 *s -1 30 20 rs 0 0 2c 20 30 20 *s -1 30 5c rs
@0 0 30 5c 30 -1c *s -1 3o 5c rs 0 0 3o 5c 3o -1c *s -1 5c 5c rs
@0 0 5c 5c 5c -1c *s -1 5c 20 rs 0 0 20 20 5c 20 *s -1 5c 5c rs 0
@0 20 5c 5c 5c *s -1 60 5c rs 0 9zl6o 60 5c 60 40 *s -1 60 5c rs
@0 73 60 5c 60 40 *s -1 60 40 rs 0 73 60 40 60 2o *s -1 60 2o rs
@0 73 60 2o 60 1c *s -1 o 5c rs 0 73 o 5c o 40 *s -1 hg 2s rs 0
@73 o 40 o 2o *s -1 o 2o rs 0 73 o 2o o 1k *s -1 o 2o rs 0 73 o
@2o o 1c *s -1 28 5c rs 0 9zabk 1s 5c 28 5c *s -1 30 4s rs 0
@9zabk 30 4s 30 4c *s -1 30 3k rs 0 9zabk 30 3k 30 34 *s -1 3o 4g
@rs 0 9zabk 3o 4g 3o 40 *s -1 ky 1s rs 0 0 30 40 1o 40 *s -1 k0
@42 rs 0 0 2c 40 2c 20 *s -1 lc 14 rs 0 0 1o 30 30 30 *s 8 pg 4e
@rs 0 *s -3 5g 7q rs 0 *s -3 pg 44 rs 0 F *s -3 j1 6b rs 0 D *s
@-3 mt 5r rs 0 K *s -3 nz 5t rs 0 A *s -3 p5 6o rs 0 S *s -1 ie
@13 rs 0 0 2c 3c 2k 3s *s -1 jl 1e rs 0 0 28 3s 2w 2o *s -1 2c 5c
@rs 0 0 2c 40 2c 5c *s -1 1w 5c rs 0 0 1w 5c 1w 40 *s -1 2c 4o rs
@0 0 2c 4o 1g 4o *s -1 fv 1z rs 0 0 1s 50 20 58 28 4k *s -1 24 58
@rs 0 0 1w 50 24 58 *s -1 28 58 rs 0 0 20 58 28 4k *s -1 1w 4o rs
@0 0 1w 4o s 4o *s -1 1o 58 rs 0 0 1g 50 1o 58 *s -1 1s 58 rs 0 0
@1k 58 1s 4k *s -1 1c 5c rs 0 0 1c 5c 1c -1c *s -1 1c 54 rs 0
@9zabk 1c 54 1c 4o *s -1 1c 4g rs 0 9zabk 1c 4g 1c 3s *s -1 1c 3s
@rs 0 9zabk 1c 3s 1c 34 *s -1 1c 34 rs 0 9zabk 1c 34 1c 2o *s -1
@1c 2g rs 0 9zabk 1c 2g 1c 20 *s -3 1j ag rs 0 MK *s -3 1i 93 rs
@0 GP *s -3 25 8f rs 0 H *s -3 24 9r rs 0 VV *s -3 1i 9u rs 0 A' *s
@-3 25 ac rs 0 AK *s 9 22 80 xc 0
*END c10zej

If you have any trouble figuring out the map, ask on the OOC thread. If you want to mix up the marching order, go ahead. Hortek was in his position because he was checking the door for traps.