The Vega South Campaign

[Anna_Irving]

Siernan
warlock

As the weak sunlight begins to diffuse the ritual chamber, Siernan looks around the walls, trying to spot the image that she thinks will be projected upon one of them, even walking about the bridge as she tries to find a better viewpoint. She feels the orb absorbing more and more of her power and she thinks, I'm glad I'll never run out of energy.

If she does see an image, she interrupts her charging process and sketch the image on her rough diagram. If there is none, she shrugs her shoulders philosophically. The glass roof was very shattered, after all.

Siernan walks down the wall. A sidetrip into the room with the strange fixture, and she liberates another magic torch. Passing this one to Anersha, she walks up to the strange basin and investigates it. She was only irrepressibly curious, after all; not too stupid to realize she needed to check every angle before trying out something new, exciting, and possibly dangerous.

[Anna_Irving]

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checking out the glowing red basin:
K arcana - (1d20+9)[22]
K planes - (1d20+8)[12]
spellcraft - (1d20+9)[13]

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Unsure of what to do, and perplexed by thier new friend's wanderings, Venderholfen busies himself trying to push all the glass into a small concise pile.

[neoseph7]

As Venderholfen arranges the glass into a pile, it trickles down, seemingly of its own volition. Some of the glass pieces start to meld together.

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It feels like trying to place magnets close to one another. In this case, like colored peices are attracted to one another while different colors repel. It has all the force of a lego magnet, but the sensation is still distinct. The glass in a small area doesn't make any particular pattern, and the pieces fall apart fairly easily.

As Siernan walks around the room she finds and records several interesting glyphs, though most of what she finds are fragments of a greater image. Around the Glowing red basin, she finds that it was once covered on top by treated glass (to what that treatment was she has no clue, but it feels different from ordinary glass. Thicker too). Inside the basin she finds six small indentations that look like they held orbs similar to the one she now holds. The deep red color stems from some variety of phosphlorescent fungi feeding off of the mana lines in the basin, which are too numerous to count. The magic is still very faint here, but there is enough for the fungi.

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She feels the orb absorbing more and more of her power and she thinks, I'm glad I'll never run out of energy.

I'm not a big fan of breaking the first law of thermodynamics, even in DnD. Lets us just say that Siernan is getting very hungry (and probably a little irritable, though that is staved off by this tremendous discovery). At the same time though, I'm not taking food into account. Especially since the party has spent an undefined amount of time in a lush wilderness where they couldn't run out of food if they tried, and they would certainly keep some around for later. After a day or two in an environment without a source of food (such as this ruin complex) the party might start feeling the onset of fatigue. That or the party discovers just how tasty blood red fungus tastes like.

I think there are several unexplored paths, and there are holes at the top of the room the party could squeeze through with help from both rope and Siernan guiding the way.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Hearing the rumblings of his stomach, Venderholfen sets to work finding enough burnable vines and such to make a small fire. Then spitting the meat in his pack on his new spear, he sets to roasting it, while setting the two loaves of bread he has next to it, so that they can warm.

While he's making such preparations, he'll look to the others, hoping they'll also produce food, and ask "Eatin' time?"

[Anna_Irving]

Siernan
warlock

"This is all very fascinating," Siernan mutters as she watches the glass pieces move to and fro. "Attractive and repulsive forces affecting glass? I must take a sample." She scoops up a flaskful of glass to play with. "Yes, please, thank you Venderholfen," she accepts the offer of food.

"This ritual chamber was powered by orbs like these. There's a nook that would fit this on the bridge, and there are several nooks in that basin there. I thought about placing this in a nook and seeing what would happen, but the risk is too great. For now."

"There's a path straight ahead of us, which feels cold to me for some reason. There's two paths off the bridge above us, which we can get to with some rope climbing, although I wouldn't advise crossing the bridge itself. I'd like to follow the path ahead of us, I'm curious to see where it leads. Probably somewhere related to this ritual chamber's function..."

Leaving her waterskin for anyone to partake, she wanders off to sketch the fixture and the mana lines running through the floor and the "door" wall in the other room. Once done, she frees all but one still-flickering torch and stashes them about her. Now... hope the wall doesn't crash down. After bouncing on her toes to warm her up, she attempts to pick up the rock with the depression from the pedestal. If she succeeds, she'll make a run through the doorway.

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You never said how many magic torches were in that room and Siernan recognizes their usefulness (=sale potential). Fine with me if you say there were only 4 to begin with, we already have one each

[neoseph7]

The frigid hallway is about eight feet wide and lined with pillars that reach up to the ten foot ceiling. It stretches over a hundred yards in a straight path. The glow of the everburning torches flickers in and out as the party passes by several iron gates that have fallen from the ceiling. They must weigh a tremendous amount, as the whole party is unable to make one budge. Seven such gates are passed before the party comes to an open path, the iron gate looking like it had been molten about the edges to reveal an opening.

The room it leads to is barren save for the presense of several individuals frozen in one form or another. There are tiles on the floor that seem to be trapped, and thus prevent passage to the other side. The far end of the room is adorned with an elaborate relief, though to what is unknown. An altar within the relief holds an orb similar to the ones found elsewhere. The detection of magic in the area reveals that the orb has lost most of its power.

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The figures stuck in place (all are rogues of one race or another) include half a dozen that were the subject of a wall of ice spell (radiating evocation), 3 that were turned to stone (transmutation), and one guy who didn't make it that far who seems to be under the effects of a hold person spell (enchantment), repeatedly recast by a spell trigger device jutting out of the wall.

There were a total of 4 torches held in the first room. I cannot promise that they will work outside of this area, but it is possible. By now the first orb found is brimming with energy, and does not accept more.

[ZaneLaCoix]

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o.o
Woah, major catch up time

[Aetheas]

Within the room, he was merely the eyes of the group. Even though he doubted few would come, he just kept to an ever watchful disposition. When food was offered, he accepted willingly, downing it slowly, with proper thanks. Within the passage way, he took up the torch barer, leaving everything as it was. Perhaps some day later in the future he would have liked to return to this place and investigate more, with a proper crew.

Gods above this place was cold

"Rather grim scene." The healer mumbles under his breath. "He may be savable. Theorhetically, we should be able to remove his body from the thing's range and in due time he'll be back." Aetheas nods off to the held man in the distance, then turns to Siernan. "I wager you are the most capable."
The healer then pauses, offering up a moment of peace from himself to the others before he speaks again. "The rest should be buried properly when we get above ground--or at least grave markers for their bodies."

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

*This is assuming the others tell me about the magic*

Venderholfen makes his way along the wall, trying to stay out of the range of the spell trigger device jutting out of the wall. When he gets close enough to it, he'll jab out with his spear, and try to lever it out of the wall.

Attack - (1d20+6)[19]
Damage - (1d8+4)[12]

StrCheck - (1d20+3)[14]

[Anna_Irving]

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Yes, Siernan will inform all about the spell.

Siernan
warlock

"STOP!!" Siernan tries to stop the barbarian from risking his neck needlessly. "I doubt you'll succeed where those sneakier than you have failed. Let me destroy that trigger from here, it's much safer." Assuming he listens, Siernan points her finger at the trigger jutting from the wall, and blasts it.

"Aetheas, do you recognize that relief at all? The altar suggests to me perhaps it's an otherplanar creature, perhaps the very creature called forth in the ritual chamber. And there's another of those orbs. I wonder if we can find enough to power something..."

Siernan takes a hard look at the ceiling and walls, trying to see if any obvious traps are present.

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spot - (1d20+2)[6] to spot traps
K arcana - (1d20+9)[28] to recognize relief or altar
K planes - (1d20+8)[12] same
If she doesn't see any traps

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She'll walk up the wall & ceiling to closer to the relief & altar, where she can study it better.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Venderholfen does not listen, and continues to try to lever it. If it doesn't come free, he'll slowly apply more and more strength (taking a 20 for a 23) until it pops loose. He's not trying to break it, just remove it, so he can hold it and point it at things.

[ZaneLaCoix]

[Aetheas]

The healer could not help but chuckle. His barbarian friend was actually doing what he hoped the more arcaned tuned one would do. Destroying a magical item was just a waste--it could also be dangerous. "I would not suggest destroying it. Might activate the magics contained, to get us all. Pull it."

"As for this place. Does look like something I was briefly taught. Keep in mind though, I was taught to heal, not summon."

[neoseph7]

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There are only tiles along the floor, and there is no edge to crawl upon. The first tile will strike at Venderholfen (reflex save). If he continues... just list his saves and roll 1d20 about a dozen times.

[Anna_Irving]

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So I assume Siernan didn't have time to walk across the ceiling, so she's still at the entrace when Venderholfen began his trek through the minefield?

Siernan
warlock

I was afraid of that... groans Siernan to herself as her large friend steps on a tile that goes click. She backs away discreetly and prepares to duck anything that might come her direction, though she knows the main focus of the magic traps is the person standing upon the trapped tile.

[Seffbasilisk]

Venderholfen

Reflex - (1d20+3)[4]

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I was going to be prodding at the tiles before walking on any, but I guess it doesn't matter.

[neoseph7]

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Probability demads that Venderholfen is going to be held in one form or another. The rest of the party rolls for initiative.

[Anna_Irving]

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I was going to be prodding at the tiles before walking on any, but I guess it doesn't matter.

I think you got a natural 1, so I doubt it'll matter. Might even be the prodding that set it off.

initiative - (1d20)[11]

[Anna_Irving]

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Also, spellcraft - (1d20+9)[17] for the spell affecting venderholfen

[neoseph7]

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Sure. Prodding the tile causes it to go click, and a javalin comes out of nowhere, and then returns to hammer space after hitting the area above the space. If Ven walks onto this tile and hits the second, two traps will go off (the javalin and a spell effect). There are about 5 tiles between Ven and where he needs to jam the device. Taking 20 is impossible, as that will involve 20 rounds on something that requires a reflex save. Some of the prior traps have poison. Where looking at 9 before getting in position and 20 after. BTW, animals with an Int of 2 would know better. I want to encourage role playing, but let's not go commiting suicide.

The wall on the left side of the room collapses as an animated automoton composed mostly of bronze enters the room to investigate the disturbance.

[Anna_Irving]

Siernan
warlock

"What... Is that thing?!" Siernan backpedals faster, keenly aware which one would win should metal and flesh collide.

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Could I get the size of the room, especially the height of the ceiling. Also, the height of this moving metal doll.
K arcana - (1d20+9)[27] what exactly is this thing?
[roll]spellcraft]1d20+9[/roll] same question

[Anna_Irving]

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failed my typing check [roll0]

[Anna_Irving]

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third time's the charm spellcraft - (1d20+9)[28]
Also, if Siernan believes she can get on the ceiling AND stay out of reach, she'll scamper up the wall.

[neoseph7]

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The ceiling is 20ft up, and sitting on it places you out of range of the Animated Bronze Statue, as animated via the Animate Objects Spell (with permanency cast). The statue is large, and in its center is an orb, though it appears to be lacking most of its magic. Specifically, the statue is in the shape of a large Lizardman with a peculiar mane (current day Lizard folk don't have manes). The torso of the automaton is sculpted to look like a breastplate, but it is purely ornamental. The creature is heading for Venderholfen.

Venderholfen critically failed a reflex save (For the second trap. The first trap used an attack roll and missed). and was knocked prone from the blast of sonic energy (and took 5 sonic). He gets up from prone as the Animated object enters the room. The distance from the opening to Ven is about 50 ft, which the animated object can make in a charge (which it is going to do). A fair warning, weapons are going to go dink against the hardness of this creature if they don't deal enough damage (same hardness as standard bronze).

Siernan is going after the Bronze statue, as is everyone else if they don't roll as well as he did.

[Anna_Irving]

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free action of my round. will post rest of action after I see if there's any response

Siernan
warlock

Why, it's a strange version of the Hide People! Did they build this place? But first things first! Hope that construct's set to obey vocal commands. Siernan draws a deep breath and croaks out,
"(lizard folk language) STOP! STAND STILL!"

[neoseph7]

The Statue stops for a moment, in a state with as much contemplation as a statue can muster. It then looks up to the ceiling at Siernan, and then drops to one knee with one fist on the ground.

[Anna_Irving]

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hey, it worked. wasn't expecting that. Is orb in the construct also conjuration magic like the charged one Siernan has? For that matter, what about the orb on the altar? Oh, and does the altar or the relief radiate magic?

[neoseph7]

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Its all faint conjuration. With a twist of transmutaion here and there. This applies to practically everything, the auras are too weak to reveal anything else. The aura around Siernan's orb radiates moderate conjuration. Any aura with 20 ft of her is completly covered by the aura of her orb.

The Statue will only accept one word orders (or more accuratly, the language has changed such that only very simple words are still recognizable).

[Anna_Irving]

Siernan
warlock

Hmm. "(lizard folk) Speak!"

[neoseph7]

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The Statue is unable to utter speach.

[Anna_Irving]

Siernan
warlock

I doubted it was capable of talking, but it was worth a try...

"Venderholfen, how are you doing? Do you need help?"

"This statue is animated by its orb's magic. It was probably made by the Scale People. They're also called lizard folk, though I've never seen one with a mane. I think the chances are high the ritual chamber behind us might also be Scale People creation. Very fascinating, really, that they're capable of such advanced creations, completely contradicts their primitive and uncivilized reputation. I wish I knew more about them, I only picked up their language in passing..."

"But nevermind about that for now. You were trying to rescue that held person. I want to take a look at that moving statue. I think it can help us get to the altar."

Siernan crosses the ceiling to the left side of the room to get a closer look at this strange wonderous statue. She studies the statue carefully, asking it to "spin", "turn", "stop", etc. She then tries to find a safe path down the broken wall to a spot close to the automaton's height. If necessary she'll call it closer: "come", until she can reach over and cup a hand over the orb in its chest. A few zaps ensure that the orb will remain with energy. Lastly, she tries out her new climbing abilities upon the statue's surface.