An Age of Worms

[Plasma Snake]

Tris looks upward with a raised eyebrow,

"Well I supposes if someone could climb up there I'd be willing to lend him this" he says wiggling the his left ring-finger that is currently wearing his new-found Ring of Feather Fall.

[Whiplord]

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Christ, and I basically had to tell Mike before you guys got it. Oh well, I'll just drop more hints in the future I guess.

Yes, the chain is climbable. Genius!

[Plasma Snake]

Looking around, Tris says sourly.

"What no takers? Fine, I suppose it takes a man of refinement to to what's necessary."

He first examines the chains for any signs of more traps.

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Search - (1d20+3)[21]

[Whiplord]

Figuratively going over the chain with a fine toothed comb, Tristan is unable to find any traps.

[Plasma Snake]

Seeing that there are no traps, Tris grabs the chain and begins to climb.

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Climb - (1d20+2)[17]

[Wertible]

Rolal stares quietly at Tris, looking up into the shaft above.

"Don't fall."

[Whiplord]

With a little bit of effort, Tristan is able to climb the swaying chain. He goes upwards for 50 feet, before reaching a hallway that goes back into the wall. With a small swing he steps over onto solid ground, leaving the chain rattling softly behind him, and setting the already eerie glow of the lantern shaking in a crazed fashion.

A thin passage extends into shadows to the northeast. Perhaps seventy feet away, the passage ends in what appears to be an enormous stone human face, its mouth carved in the likeness of an angry scream, and opening into further shadow.

The face is carved in the same manner as all the other statues and carvings seen in the cairn. It dominates the entire 20 by 20 foot wall at the end of the passageway.

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Roll Spot, and anything else you feel like.

[Plasma Snake]

Before examining the corridor, Tristan yells down,

"All safe! There's a hallway fifty feet up or so. Feel free to join me!"

Turning back the the corridor, Tris examines the path ahead of him for traps and then examines the face from where he is, about 60 feet away from the large face.

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Search - (1d20+3)[18]
Spot - (1d20)[2]

[Zassiliss]

Sanem
HP 7/8 AC: 17 T: 13 FF: 14

Sanem grumbles before attempting to climb up as well. "I'm just not built for this." he mutters.

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Climb - (1d20-1)[17]

[Whiplord]

As Tristan searches the hallway for traps, going very carefully over every inch of floor, wall and ceiling. While he finds no traps, he immediately notices a series of deep gouges in the floor ending at the edge where he had climbed up. In the meantime both Senam and Rolal make their way up the chain, so that the whole party stands in the hallway.

[Plasma Snake]

Tris moves slowly down the hall, shield at the ready. Stopping in front of the giant face, the artificer examines it more closely.

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Search - (1d20+3)[9]
Spot - (1d20)[16]
Any knowledges needed?

[Wertible]

Rolal's eyes shift steadily back and forth as the shadows glimmer off the walls in his darkvision.

"Watch for traps."

[Whiplord]

Though he searches extensively, Tristan turns up no traps of any sort. However, when he reaches the end of the hallway, by the light emanating from the impromptu beacons that are his armor and shield, he is able to see into the room that opens beyond the gaping mouth of the carved face.

Looking through, he sees a long dark room with no floor. A three foot wide beam of petrified wood spans the chasm, leading straight ahead into further darkness. About 10 feet below the beam, countless iron spheres the size of large oranges form an irregular floor, but it's impossible to tell if they form a wholly solid surface.

The northwest and southeast walls are covered in a honeycomb of geometric patterns. The featureless stone ceiling extends about 20 feet from the beam.

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Side view of the room ahead of you to give a better idea.

Tell me any checks you want to make. It will take a balance check to walk across the beam, and it is possible to lower yourselves to the floor if you wish to do so. However, the uneven surface will make it difficult to walk.

[Wertible]

"This definitely has the air of an obvious trap."

Rolal looks around slowly before gathering his resolve and lowers himself from the beam so that his feet touch the floor. He tests whether it has a solid footing.

[Plasma Snake]

"And so you step out on to the supposed trap? I thought you learned your lesson after the elevator incident." Tristan says with an incredulous on his face.

Tristan grabs dirt and pebbles from the hallway and throws them over Rolal's shoulder. The artificer waits to see if the rocks will set off any traps or marks any pathways. While waiting he scans the rooms for any other traps.

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Search - (1d20+3)[4]

[Plasma Snake]

Putting a hand on Rolal's shoulder, Tristan turns his left ear toward the room.

"Get out of there, get out of there now. I hear something moving underneath those spheres."

[Wertible]

Rolal darts backward, hoping that he can evade whatever's making that noise.

[Zassiliss]

Sanem
HP 7/8 AC: 17 T: 13 FF: 14

Sanem blinks and backs away from the corridor, and says to Tristian "What, what did you see?"

[Whiplord]

As Rolal scrambles back out of the pit, a laughing childish voice echoes around the dark room. "Teehee, that's right, run away, you sniveling cowards! Teehee!"

The rustling that Tristan heard becomes louder, and soon four tentacles erupt from the iron balls. "Gricky-wicky is gonna get woo! Teehee!"

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Roll initiative please.

[Plasma Snake]

Tristan draws his sword and readies his shield.

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Initiative - (1d20+3)[10]

[Wertible]

Rolal stares intently at the pit.

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Initiative - (1d20-1)[11]

[Zassiliss]

Sanem
HP 7/8 AC: 17 T: 13 FF: 14

Sanem nervously peers around the room, whirling to try to discen the origin of the voice. "Um, alright. Which one of you wants to be huge, to deal with those tentacles?" he says to his companions.

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Initiative - (1d20+7)[9]

[Whiplord]

A body soon follows the tentacles, and a wormlike creature as long as a man is tall emerges from the ground, shucking iron spheres off it's body like scales. Four tentacles, slightly longer than a large man's forearms are located on it's head, along either side of it's jaw, which are segmented, as its entire body.

It moves towards Rolal and attempts to strike him with its tentacles, but is too slow as Rolal exits the pit, pulling his leg up in the nick of time.

"Heehee, Gricky-wicky is hungwy!"

[Plasma Snake]

"I'll go." says Tristan. The artificer readies him self to attack the tentacles as soon as the spell is cast.

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Action: Assume Punishing Stance, ready move and attack the monster with Sapphire Nightmare Blade.
Concentration - (1d20+5)[23]
Attack - (1d20+3)[9]
[roll=Damage]2d8+1d6+3[/roll]
Extra Damage from SNB - (1d6)[6]

[Wertible]

Rolal moves himself to the very edge of the pit, and, taking his sword in both hands, thrusts downward sharply toward the beast.

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Attack - (1d20+4)[16]
Damage - (3d6+6)[17]
Granted Maneuvers - (2d5)[5][4](9)

[Zassiliss]

Sanem points a finger at Traistian, muttering arcane incantations under his breath. With his other, he takes out his crossbow from his back.

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Move Action: Take crossbow and bolts (15).
Action: Cast Enlarge Person on Tristian.

[Whiplord]

Rolal moves back towards the edge of the pit, and in a burst of released energy stabs downward with all his might. The effect isn't quite as dramatic as he may have wished though, with the blade glancing off a ridge of bone on 'Gricky Wicky's' face, and only opening a large cut as opposed to the impalement that might have occurred.

With an arcane gesture, and a few words under his breath, Sanem's magic makes Tristan's body grow to twice its size in the blink of an eye. The now enlarged Tristan moves forward to attack the tentacled aberration. Unfortunately he trips over his own larger than normal feet, and his attack goes wide by a large mark. A loud giggle sounds in that mysterious child like voice

Enraged at the new addition to its face, the affectionately named beast attempts to strike at Rolal. Three of its tentacles connect squarely with Rolal's body, leaving bleeding wounds where the barbed hooks ripped at flesh.

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9 damage to Rolal

[Wertible]

Rolal lashes out at the creature, attempting to stab it once more.

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Vanguard Strike for +4 on attack to everyone else on successful hit.
Attack - (1d20+5)[10]
Damage - (3d6+7)[18]
Maneuver - (1d2)[2]

[Plasma Snake]

With a curse Tristan flourishes his blade, re-readying himself, and attempts to him the tentacles again.

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Con - (1d20+5)[8]
Attack - (1d20+3)[12]
Damage - (2d8+3)[14]
Punishing Stance - (1d6)[4]
Sapphire - (1d6)[5]

[Zassiliss]

Sanem raises his crossbow, trying to get a mark on the swirling, writhing tentacles. He fires.

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Attack - (1d20+3)[22]
Damage - (1d8)[1]