Toma: the City After the War [IC]

[Solophoenix]

Varwann

Varwann inspects Urk's frog.

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Knowledge Arcana - (1d20+5)[22]
((OOC: Sorry I'm late, the first week back at work was ultra-hectic))

[Solophoenix]

Varwann

Varwann waits until Urk puts the frog away before he makes his knowledge known. He speaks in a hushed tone.

"From what I can tell, that frog in a homunculus. A servant contstructed by a wielder of magic. Essentially the equivalent of Telma's psicrystal. If the master is within range, they can see and hear everything that the homunculus does. It could have been planted in the tavern as a spy. Judging by the way it's trying to get away though, it could be trying to re-establish contact with its master.

Oh, and anyone that wants me to make them climb better is welcome, it seems to be the most useful thing I can do with my magic after what happened with Telma back in the temple."

[Ryuuk]

Telma

"It was like tripping in a dream and waking up with a cold chill, only you're also on fire and covered with insects. Ok, I've lived through worst, but it was the shock of it all. Just watch you aim next time."

(Ok, just follow him, try to stay out of his sight)

Telma begins to gather her things, ready to go. "Yeah, he says there's a bit to climb once inside, but there aren't any beetles. He hasn't found Father Dyus, but he say he ran into an armed goblin... I think we should get going."

[RS14]

"A homunculus? You're sure he was in the tavern?"
"Creature," he says, taking the tin and speaking firmly to the frog. "What was your task? Who put you in this tin?" The homunculus, however, remains silent, and Rieman passes the tin back to Urk with a shrug.

...

"Well, I'm willing to try this wall. Why don't you go first, Urk. You look like you can climb almost as well as you swing a sword; I'll give you a boost and you make sure the window is safe."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Climb [1d20+3]=19: +2 bonus to Urk's climb check, if he attempts it.

[Snowfall]

Mourdin

Mourdin closes his eyes and says a brief prayer to Heironeous, a blue glow coalesces around him and then settles on his armor.

Mourdin turns to Varwann and says, "I'm not of much use on a wall without your help, but I can be your mule again."

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Casting Magic Vestment on himself

[XenoGeno]

Urk

Urk takes back the frog, not really grasping the concept; but then, he never really understood Telma's shiny rock. "Y'know what, Gnome? I'll take yer word fer it. Now, to get climbing..."

Urk pulls out his climbing gear, secures his sword, and accepts the boost from the lieutenant.

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Climb check:

(1d20+19)[39]

[RS14]

Urk reaches the window without even the slightest difficulty. He pulls himself up through the window-frame, and finds himself on a bench at the end of a long hallway. Large openings in the ceiling illuminate it ahead, and staircases lead up at each. The hall seems empty, however, and terminates almost 200ft ahead in a large, bright room.

"Kithzin, you have a rope, do you not? Throw it up to him; if all is well, we will follow."

[Chineselegolas]

Kithzin

Digging through his pack, Kithzin pulled out the rope and attached grappling hook. "Here you go" he said, tossing the wieghted end upto Urk, climbing up once he secured it

[RS14]

The ascent is easy, now that the rope is secured in place. The corridor has three obvious exists - stairs 60 and 120 ft down it's length and on the right-hand side, as well as the open room at the end.
"The tower we're looking for should be on our right," says Lt. Rieman. "Father Dyus had space in the private east towers when I was last here." He walks forward cautiously. "The stairs will be our best bet, if..."
*CRACK*
A seam opens in the stones of the wall, and a mouth appears. "Trespassers!" it grumbles, "if you have business here, make yourself known. Else do not dare to advance against our emplacements."

With no further action occurring, Lt. Rieman steps back slowly and speaks quietly at the others. "You're the experts on this sort of infiltration. I don't think anyone's still here - do you want to announce ourselves, or try this quietly?"

[Ryuuk]

Telma

Not when its ME doing the inflitrating, but... Telma takes a second to think things though before whispering to the others. "Well, it already found us... Eitherway we'd probably run into trouble anyway if we try to ignore it. I'll present myself, if worse come to worse you guys can sneak around it."

If no one objects, she closes her eyes for a second before stepping towards the mouth and speaking up. "My name is Telma Abrica, I'm here to speak with Father Dyus."

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Just in case, Telma will use the power point in her cognizance crystal to manifest Vigor for 5 temporary hp.

[RS14]

The mouth gives no reply, but Telma's words echo down the hall eerily. Moments later, those viewing the mouth get the disconcerting sensation that it was never there. It fades so subtly into the rock that it its last seconds are almost a trick of the light. The rock is once again smooth, with only the smallest seams suggesting the wrinkles of a mouth.

An examination of the floor reveals no mechanical trigger to the mouth.

[Ryuuk]

Telma

"Well... Someone out there knows my name now." She unfastens her falchion. "The stairs then, alright, let me just check that room down there first." As she heads to the room a the end of the corridor, she sends her scout a quick message. There's most likely others here, I want you to come back here.

When she reaches it, she'll peer inside, looking for any sign of recent activity.

[Snowfall]

Mourdin

"Well, it's impossible to say who was on the other end of that magic mouth. So let's keep moving."

[RS14]

Telma and Mourdin's footsteps echo quietly down the hall. As they nears the first staircase, however, it becomes apparent that the passage is more dangerous than it first appeared. A skylight looks up almost 50ft through the broad, roofless avenue on the floor above, and the shadows and the small bits of masonry on the floor catch Telma's eye. A quick glance upwards reveals a sagging platform spanning the passage. That seen, the tripwires -- at least two -- spanning the passage ahead seem to jump out like approaching torches in the night. The staircase on the east of the passage leads to two floors above, and then the avenue, but it offers little protection from above, and the tripwires seem to have been strung through the banister and across it. A few pebbles bounce off the floor, as, by the sound, a flock of doves takes flight from somewhere above.

Telma:

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Your psicrystal speaks to you, and reports I'm in the middle of the wing, on the roof. I shouldn't take very long.

[Chineselegolas]

Kithzin

Following after the others, Kithzin looked at the trip wires then at the sagging platform. "Have to say I don't like the look of that. We can probably get past if we are careful to not touch the wires and set something off, but if they can be bothered to put a magic mouth by an entrance not of proper making, this is likely an obvious trap to conceal something worse."

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(1d20+6)[13] to search for that something worse

[RS14]

Upon closer examination, there are at least three more tripwires, for a total of five, at heights from 6in to 4ft. On the staircase, they are lower, but less consistent in height overall.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If attempting to move through the wires, make two Dex checks and specify if you're moving up the stairs to the avenue, to one of the other floors, or down the hall.

I'm sorry, this post may be a bit sparse. It's 23:40 and I just finished a midterm, so humbug.

[Snowfall]

Mourdin

Mourdin turns to Varwann and Kithzin "I'm not sure I'm spry enough to make it through there without hitting a wire, maybe you two should go ahead?"

[Chineselegolas]

Kithzin

Nodding at Mourdin, Kithzin made his way forwards to the wires, carefully trying to step around and over them saying back "Well you never know, one of us might set it off then all clear for you to come along"


dex check - (1d20+6)[17]
dex check - (1d20+6)[8]

[Solophoenix]

Varwann

Varwann moves close to the first wire, and examines the setup to see if it can be deactivated.

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Search - (1d20+12)[18]
Disable Device - (1d20+14)[27]

[Ryuuk]

Telma

Ok, just try to be quiet so as not to startle Kithzin and Varwann, they need to conentrate. Telma simply steps back and watches the her allies work.

[RS14]

Kithzin crosses the wires with ease, and Varwann is able to secure the first two to the staircase without trouble. As he starts to tie off the third, the sound of further birds taking flight prompts Kithzin to look up.
Above everyone, approaching directly down the face of the wall and just below the platform, is some strange, large cat, with a neck like a snake and with strange striped black and gray fur. It must see Kithzin look up, for it pounces - straight down the wall, with incredible speed. Somehow, it catches itself just above the doorway, and it readies itself for another leap.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Initiative:
Bolded character may act in the surprise round.
Cat: 23
Urk: 23
Telma: 15
Varwann: 11
Mourdin: 10
Rieman: 8
Kithzin: 7

Maps:

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The floor of the hall, showing the stairs. Kithzin and Varwann, and the cat are all in the danger area below the platform, while the others are to the south, sheltered by the tunnel roof.
The wall is shown from the perspective of Kithzin, i.e. looking south.

Edit: I've changed the map slightly and added some notes.

[Chineselegolas]

OOC: Which dots are who? And which wall is it that the cat is on?
Bit lacking in sleep so I can't figure out which is what...