The Sinister Spire IC

[Sophistemon]

Regak recounts to them everything that had been spoken by the prophet, in as much detail as he can recall*, before musing over the last, more violent outburst. He tells it to them verbatim, word for word, and slowly, choosing his translation carefully:

"Who lives in the city? Sinful, soft carapaces surround minds that churn with philosophies hostile to all other creatures. Roused from the drowned depths, the fabled city is fable no more."

He looks at them, brown eyes bright under red eyebrows.

"I'm no prophet, but none of what he said sounded like anything good."

[AmberVael]

Rasphiak

Rasphiak sneers a little, teeth bared in an amused snarl.
"His first words were true enough..."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika Anova

"Don't matter that much, mates. He's just a crazy plague-infected man. Long as he's elsewhere, suits me fine." Now that the plagued creature isn't in the way any longer she reaches up to press her hand against the stain.

[wxdruid]

The stain marks the spot, please give me a search check for the area.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

(taking 10 for 22 on search)

[wxdruid]

Mika finds the trap door is built into the floor, on the spot where she was standing. Will you open it?

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

Mika carefully checks the door for traps first, taking her time, and not caring if she irritates the others. (taking 20 on the search check for 32)

[wxdruid]

Mika doesn't find any traps associated with the trap door.

[Sophistemon]

Regak kneels down and watches Mika work. He pays close attention to her hands and the careful, calculating movements that they make. His own fingers, he thinks, are far too thick and calloused for such exact work. Ah, well. He chose his path as a youngster and there's no changing it now.

He glances over to the warlock.

"Maybe. But my people, we've learned to listen to our prophets. We may be wise to keep our eyes open a bit wider from now on, just in case."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

"Stand back," she says, before cautiously opening trap door.

[wxdruid]

Nothing jumps out, or otherwise does anything unusual.

Mika will see a 10 foot wide descending tunnel, a smell of damp earth and stone wafts upward, faint, but noticeable.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

Mika enters the tunnel, pulling out a torch to help her see. She scans the passageway for traps as she travels. (Taking 10 for 22 on her search)

[Sophistemon]

Regak looks back towards the rest of the party and nods before following Mika into the tunnel. He can smell the earth and stone and though it is a deeper, mustier type of dirt and stone than to which he is accustomed, he cannot help but to smile behind his beard. Compared to the slimy corruption of the Underdark's fetid cities, this tunnel almost reminds him of home.

[AmberVael]

Rasphiak

Rasphiak slowly follows, reacting almost inversely to Regak, growing more uneasy and tense the further they go in. It was too enclosed. However, he notes Regak's comfort with the situation, he keeps his eyes on the dwarf, almost mimicking him as they move.

[wxdruid]

A welcome relief from the odor of the tannery above, this place smells of damp earth and stone. It's a passage that slopes slightly upward to the north and downward to the south. Ages of dripping water have birthed stalagmites and stalactites that line the tunnel like teeth, and tiny rivulets of water burble down the passage, off into darkness.

Mika finds no traps or anything suspicious and time seems to pause/stand still down here in the doom and gloom.

A smooth stone panel is fitted into the northern wall. Since the passage descends from here, this rectangle of cut rock must be the entrance to Elessarwa's secret torture chamber.

((checks to possibly make... search, spot, detect magic (let Raspiak close to the door), listen))

[tonberryking]

Nephia

"Need any more light?" someone softly asks.

Nephia has, since her silent entry into the spire, kept her shield up and one of her spears out, but hasn't been of much conversation up to this point. She seems to zone in an out of being quiet, as even when the madman from earlier showed up. But now venturing into a honestly dangerous place (or at least moreso than before) has her a bit talkative.

"I hear the drow can see in the dark so it wouldn't matter if we held out our light sources, we may be a target either way. Or should we plan for encountering something first?"

[tonberryking]

(Forgot something)

Spoiler

Show

Spot and listens from the unicorn cleric: (1d20+3)[6] (1d20+3)[20]

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

"Drow don't like bright light. Better to blind them than to leave us in the dark." She speaks barely above a whisper as she searches the entrance for any traps.

(Taking 20 on the search for 32. And spending the two minutes to do so. May as well throw in a spot and listen check as well.

Spot, then listen: _: 1D20+9 = [19]+9 = 28
1D20+9 = [12]+9 = 21
)

[AmberVael]

Rasphiak

The warlock seems disgusted by the idea of summoning light, his lip twitching up to bare a single canine tooth in a silent snarl. Still, he wouldn't suffer too much from more light- he just didn't like it that others had to rely on it. It seemed a sign of weakness to him.
He scans the area with his magical vision.

Spoiler

Show

Detect Magic is being used.
As normal, Rasphiak has 60ft Darkvision and can See Invisibility.
Listen: (1d20+1)[8]
Spot: (1d20+7)[14]

[wxdruid]

Nephia and Mika hear faint whimpering through the door.

Rasphiak knows the door is magic, but he cannot determine the school.

Mika carefully searches the door, first without touching it. She finds the lock and she can assume that the door is locked. She will have to touch the door to unlock it.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

Finding no traps, Mika first tries the handle-- you never know. Assuming it's locked, she will retrieve the necessary tools from somewhere about her person and proceed to pick it. (Taking 10 for 21. If that fails, taking 20 for 31.)

[wxdruid]

When Mika touches the doorknob a faint ringing sound can be heard inside the room.

The door is locked and after many tries Mika will finally unlock it. Nothing threatens them in the hallway while she's working. She'll get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Once she has the door unlocked it won't open. The door will either need to be forced open or magic of some kind used on it. Rasphiak will see the magic aura on the door increase.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

Mika winces at the sound of the chime, giving the group an apologetic look. "Door's jammed close," she whispers after finally getting the lock to click over and trying to open it.

[AmberVael]

Rasphiak

The warlock sneers a little.
"Lock picks won't affect magic. There's an enchantment on the door."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Mika

"Well, then, you feel like doin' something about it, mate, or are you just going to make mouthy remarks?" Mika asks, not really caring for the warlock's tone. She steps out of the way to allow Rasphiak to do whatever magic he intends to do to the door.

[AmberVael]

Rasphiak

"You presume much about my powers. Why should I devote my time to learning how to open a door when there are simpler alternatives?"

Rasphiak gives her a condescending smile before turning to Regak.

"I believe this is a job for your axe."

[Sophistemon]

Regak

The dwarf steps forward and shakes his head. He gives a nod to Rasphiak before inspecting the door.

"My axe won't do much good against a stone door, Rasphiak, though I'd like one very much that can. Still ..."

He squares his shoulders and presses up against the door, one hand on the knob.

"... I'll see what I can do without it, aye?"

He pushes against the door, straining mightily against the stony surface, and twists the knob at the same time. His face is red with the effort, his eyes squinted closed, and beads of sweat form on his brow.

Strength Check: 1d20+3=23

[wxdruid]

Regak huffs and puffs and finally, just when he thought it wouldn't move, the door budges and moves. He gets a glimpse of...

Spoiler

Show

and after a brief glimpse of the room, he spots 2 individuals behind the altar on the other side of the room with a gnome on the altar. Suddenly the way before him is blocked by a web of many-layered mass of strong sticky strands. They are anchored to the half open door and the wall and block the way.

((Need a Reflex save from Sophistemon. Everyone place where you are on the map and roll Init. Those that don't post in a timely manner will be excluded from the fight and may be dropped completely from the game.

You came from the direction of P4 and are in the tunnel still. Regak is in the doorway. The items scattered around the room are torture devices and I wouldn't recommend standing in the same square as one when you make it into the room.))

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

(Mika will be standing in G9 -- right next to the door.

Initiative: _: 1D20+2 = [12]+2 = 14
)

[AmberVael]

Initiative: 1d20+2=11

((Rasphiak will be in d10))