Heros of Awe-Team red

[jagadaishio]

OOC:

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I can't speak for everyone, but I say 'sure.'

[Winged One]

Saul's eyes go wide when he sees the archways. He mumbles "Thank you." when Guiherme heals him. Once he's done doing his best to identify the cloak, has used a Detect Magic spell on the statues(and done his best to identify them if they are magical), and has explained what the cloak does and how to make it do what it does if he was able to identify it without a spell, he starts examining the archway. He almost certainly consults one if not both of the following at some point: a standard-issue glyphbook, and a small book bound in hammered silver engraved with Eberron's continents. While he examines the archway, he's actually smiling for once. Eventually, when either he's decided that he can't learn anything more from the device or someone tells him to go to sleep, he breaks out his magical rations and mug, consumes some gruel and water from them to keep his strength up, takes out his bedroll, and goes to sleep. After he's had enough sleep to regain his magic, he gets up and studies from one of the most incomprehensible spellbooks ever seen on Eberron(the cypher involving the significance of minute shades of different colors and the exact measurements of the of the geometric shapes on each page). If there's time after he's regained his spells, he copies the runes on each archway unless Guiherme tells him not to.

[ooc]Take 10 on Knowledge: arcana to identify the cloak with the Tome of Worldly Memory for 31. If the statues are magical, you roll for the identification attempt.
I have no idea what or how many checks are needed for Saul to find out everything he can about the archway. Here are the skills that might be relevant:
Knowledge(arcana) +18, +21 if he uses the Tome of Worldly Memory
Knowledge(nature) +8, +13 if he uses the Tome of Worldly Memory
Knowledge(any other) +6, +11 if he uses the Tome of Worldly Memory
Spellcraft +22
Decipher Script +13, +17 with glyphbook, WIS check to not draw a false conclusion -1
The 2 remaining Tome of Worldly Memory charges after identifying the cloak will be used where most appropriate. If the statues aren't magical, he'll use the Detect Magic spell to try to see what school the archways' magic auras are before it expires.

Sorry for not doing this over the weekend.[/ooc]

[Oslecamo]

The cloak reveals itself to be a minor charisma cloack, wich slighlty raises the self confidence and beauty of the wearer. The cloack itself changes shape and color to fit well with the user.

The statues, on the other hand, don't reveal any hint of magic, but they're whitout any doubt of great craftmanship and should sell very well in the open market.


But when Saul finnally aproaches the archways they reveal to be much more complex than any other artifact he has ever seen in the five continents. First of all they're big. At least three times the size of the hill giants they fought. Altough Saul has never directly met one, he's sure that a dragon would fit trough them.

When the wizard's hand aproaches the runesthe smaller ones glow faintly, and some of them change shape. Saul can almost feel the arcane energy flowing in the stone, awakening with his aproach. Sometimes one of the runes glows in a diferent color, like green or red, and then several other runes change shape over them. It all releases a strong combined aura of transmutation and conjuration. The runes clearly divide themselves in two types: bigger ones, with several tinier runes inside them, wich seem to fuel the whole magic mechanism, and smaller glowing runes, wich seem to be some kind of manual.

Ghilherme notices this and coments:
"Trying to find out something? Well good luck. I still make no idea how those archways really work, despite having studying them for twenty years, but I have a knack for activating magic stuff whitout actually knowing how it works, if you understand me, like that wand I just used in you."

As Saul continues to alalyze the changing runes, they start to reveal themselves as a code, wich strongly resembles the draconic languages but with several hints of giant and elvish in the middle. It would surely be easier if they didn't kept changing. However the changes seem to don't be random. Soon Saul starts to be able to preview what will apear when he passes his hands. It seems to be some form of complex activation method. After one hour of carefull analysys, Saul reaches the conclusion that each archway can actually lead to several destinies, chosen by the runes. It even seems one could create new connections to this room, altough that would demand much more time of study, wich he now doesn't have. Also the destinations themselves are all names unknow by Saul, probably the names wich the giants gave to the diferent zones of Xendrik, and were lost in the mists of time. Maybe finding some elder giant or dragon could help shed light on the whole matter.

Thankfully to Saul, in the next day Ghilherme takes a two hour long breakast, with several personal rituals by the middle, four brands of tea he was carrying and at least a dozen prayers in silence. All of this gives time to the wizard to copy sketches of the hundreds of runes and several combinations of glowing glyphs in the walls for later analysis.


Ooc:Statues nonmagical, cloack of charisma +2, archways are artifact level of power and complexity, but they can't really be carried away.

[Oslecamo]

In the next day, after you're rested and saciated, Ghilherme aproaches one of the archways. He makes her hands pass trough the runes, and some of them glow and seem to change. After some minutes of trying and Ghilherme murmuring diferent words, the archway starts glowing and the middle, wich was made of pure stone, becomes a flashing surface, filling the room with light. Ghilherme then breathes deeply and runs trough the arcway, disapearing from site. You follow her, and you sudenly feel some colossal force pulling your body, and you feel like you're dragged trough water at great speed, unable to breath, unable to see anything clearly but several focus of light, untill it all ends, and you come out in a equal room to wich you left. But it's not the same one, since it has no signs of your previous encampment. But this time, instead of complete silence, you can hear chants very far away.

It's the drows-says Ghilherme, looking a little drowsy from the jump- They seem to be starting their ceremonies. We must advance with caution. I'll lead the way, but you keep ready for fighting.-says the elf, advancing carefully with the torch lighting the dark tunel ahead.


Ooc:Everybody make spot and listen checks. Whoever wants to hide or move silently use the respective skills.
[/I

[Glawackus]

Jorwylf slaps himself across the face once, hard, and blinks several times. "Now, let us see about these drow!" he says, punching Saul in the arm hard, and marching off after Guilherme.

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Spot (1d20-1)[17]
Listen (1d20+2)[6]

[Winged One]

Saul just stands there for a few seconds after going through the gate. When Jorwylf punches him, he recoils and moves his arms into a high guard to stop Jorwylf form accidentally inflicting brain damage during the beating. He blinks a few times in confusion when the dragon worshiper just walks off. The wizard assumes that he was just working off stress and follows, taking from his backpack an Everbright Lantern.

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[ooc]Saul fails social interaction forever.
Spot - (1d20-2)[16]
Listen - (1d20-2)[5][/ooc]

[jagadaishio]

Kankhimelk

Kankhimelk feels a bit disoriented after passing through the gate, and reaches out to lean against the stone that the archway is set into. He doesn't speak a word, in order to limit the risk of being overheard, just nodding when Ghillherme mentions the drow. He holds his hands at the ready to manifest his charged blade at a moments notice as he follows.

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Spot - (1d20+1)[19]
Listen - (1d20+1)[12]
MoveSilently - (1d20+3)[20]
Hide - (1d20+3)[17]

[Oslecamo]

Ooc: just to say I'm really busy with real life right now and thus can't properly advance the campaign. Hopefully I'll be able to get things going next weekend.

[Oslecamo]

Ghuilhereme leads you trough the dark tunels for what seems an eternity whitout anything special hapening, untill sudenly the light of his torch iluminates something in front of you.

Hmm, what's this?-asks Ghulherme to no one in particular, while reaching his bacpack and taking out a sunrod, wich he lights up, lighting the tunnel in front of you.

As the tunnel fills the light, a strange vision apears before you. A row of skeletons with high quality looking armor, swords and shields stands before you, perfectly alined with each other and blocking the path. They don't move an inch, but their eyes glow with eerie blue lights. Their bones are perfectly polished and they don't show any signs of rotness or decay, like someone would clean them regurlarly.

Ok, guys-says Ghuilherme, backing off slowly-I'm not sure what those things are, but I must ask you to take care of them.

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Ooc:
So, what do you do?

Oh, yes, totally forgot to give out exp for the last battle

Those who are at lv8: 1400 exp

Those who are at lv7: 1707 exp

[Glawackus]

"Ha! You fear the dead, darkling?" Jorwylf laughs. He reaches down to his side for his crossbow. "The flame of the dragons will take care of these."

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Initiative: (1d20+1)[9]

[jagadaishio]

Kankhimelk

Kankhimelk narrows his eyes and manifests his mind blades, but holds his grounds, waiting on his allies or the skeletons to attack. He fears that if they're mindless, some of his abilities may have no effect on them.

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Initiative - (1d20+3)[12]

[Winged One]

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Initiative - (1d20+6)[16] Saving off on the description until I know how much Saul knows about these things.

[Oslecamo]

Ooc:In that case you should roll some knowledge checks and see what you come up with.

[Winged One]

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[ooc]I did. I got a 23 if it's Religion or anything but Nature or Arcana.[/ooc]

[Oslecamo]

The undeads standing before you seem to be more than simple skeletons. Their swords and shields are carefully positioned, each skeleton protecting the ones near him. As all undeads, they should be immune to most things but pure damage or holy magic. Even then their bodies are really hard and should probably recquire bludgeoding weapons to properly hurt them, and cold attacks won't do much, do to their lack of soft parts.

One way or antother, skeletons are mindless and only follow orders, so if they still didn't attack the party, it's possible that there may be some way to pass by them whitout fighting. More than one necromancer guarded his site with undeads ordered to attack anyone who tried to pass by them whitout performing some specific task.

Still, something feels a little wrong with the skeleton group. Saul can't properly identify it with just his eyes, but one of the undeads before him seems to be more than the sight tells.

[Winged One]

"Um, when this kind of undead doesn't attack you as soon as it sees you, there's usually a way to get past it without destroying it. And there's something strange about these ones..." Saul points out. If nobody attacks the skelletons, he casts the same spell as he used to identify the auras around the gate room.

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Casting Detect Magic to see what's up with these skeletons. Spellcraft - (1d20+22)[33]

[Oslecamo]

Before Saul manages to cast the spell, the celing in the back of the party colapses. Nobody is hurt, but you can see something moving in the middle of the dust, just as if there was someone invisible there.

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Ooc: Unfortenately, most of the blue team members disapeared, with only Duke of Url still showing actvity. Thus, he'll be joining the red team. He has improved invisibility at will(pixie), so hold your fire for now.

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

Son of a b... What in the hells just happened??? She tries to shake free from the dust and re-orient herself after the trap. I'm sure I searched that area thoroughly! What kind of place is this?

Seeing a group nearby that clearly are not dark elves or undead, she decides to be bold. Winking back to visibility, she says, "umm... I hope you don't mind the interruption, but do you think any of my team in that mess," pointing to the rubble, "might have survived that fall?"

What you see is a very dusty and annoyed looking pixie flying about 5 feet off the ground and somehow still holding on to a pair of curved swords.

[jagadaishio]

Kankhimelk

"Well, I don't see anything moving," says Kankhimelk, pointing to the pile of rubble. "So I would venture to guess that no, they did not survive."

[Oslecamo]

Seeing the suprise arrival, Ghilherme draws his rapier, and points it at Shredder, altough shaking a little.


Team? Who are you? What are you doing here? Why should we trust you?

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Note, Ghuilherme is Red team's guide. Think of a male version of Anabela, aspect, clothes and all. Who knows, with that resemblance, they may have been related somehow...

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

"Oh, put that thing away before you hurt yourself." The pixie still sounds very distracted and annoyed. She looks over the people assembled before her, her eyes lingering on Ghilherme for a second.

"Hmmm, you look quite familiar, in a way at least. Do you know Anabela? She is -- that is to say, was -- our guide. I certainly hope she wasn't family or anything, because, well..." she gestures to the pile of rubble. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it? The folks calling themselves 'The Organization' wined you and dined you, and sent you off on a mission, right? Of course, they didn't tell you, or us, they'd be sending in a second team in case the first one made a mess of things."

"Now, I know that being caught in a trap isn't exactly the best form of advertisement, but I am a pretty good scout in my own right, and quite handy with these," she says, brandishing her scimitars slightly, "unlike what I assume, and hope, is your guide over there," she adds, pointing at Ghilherme.

[Winged One]

Assuming that the others will find no value in his opinion on the matter(though any facts he knows will be mentioned if they become relevant), Saul goes back to trying to figure out what's so strange about the skeletons.

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Knowledge: Nature regarding Shredder - (1d20+8)[24] Collector of Stories has already been used this encounter.

[ooc]Resuming the Detect Magic/Spellcraft thing. Roll has already been made.

[Oslecamo]

Ghilherme puts his rapier back in the sheet, and looks for a moment at the pile of rubble. He says something to himself, his eyes looking at nowhere for a moment, then extends a hand to Shredder:

Well, I heard rumors the organization may send another party here, but I never imagined Anabela would lead it...She's a strong girl, I believe she has managed to get away in the last moment, and is now fine. But no time to look for her. She can take care of herself, and we have an artifact to retrieve. Shredder, since you probably were already partially paid, I imagine you won't mind joining our group right?


Meanwhile , Saul remembers once having talked to a druid who explained him pixies were playfull sprites who had some minor magical powers, the strongest
of all being the capacity of turning completely invisible even while playing pranks or fighting. They may lack physical strenght, but they're very quick, smart and like all feys have much tougher skin than it looks.

As the wizard resumes casting the spell, he feels like there's indeed a group of magical auras among the skeletons, but before he can extract more precise information, the skeletons seem to awaken and all look at Saul at the same time. They speak in perfect syncrony, their jaws quickly moving up and down at the same time in a macabre spectacle:

Identify yourself and state your purpose unknown one. Silence will be punished with force.

[Duke of URL]

Shredder

"Of course. I mean, it's not like I have a way back on my own... what is that?" She starts at the sound of the skeletons' voices.

[Glawackus]

Jorwylf claps and laughs heartily at the pixie's entrance. "Not even in the lands of the Seren have I seen such a strange band."

He remains silent, occasionally snickering to himself, and then laughs again at the pixie's surprise. "The dead-who-walk! What else?"