Quest #33 "Wizards, Temples, and Obelisks, Oh My!"

[Quonundrum]

I had a system shock roll macro cached, but I can't remember when he had to roll one before.

System Shock (70): [1d100]=38

[OGRE MAGE]

Sorry for making everyone else wait and jamming all this on you at once, but I think we might finally be back to being a party again, almost. Thanks for your patience while we worked that all out. I know it’s no fun watching other people play without you.

The Plan Works?
Earthday, 4th of Harvester
Morning, Dark, Damp,

Sticking the burning torch directly onto the wriggling forms of the burrowing grubs in his wrist, Andron lets out an unheard scream that would curl a witches toes. 5 dam Shaking off the wooziness before passing out, he grabs the box and the beads and sprints out of this horrible room of death.

Maag walks away from the noisemakers and heads for the stairs, while Lerrick takes his place at the door. Passing the frightening rear guard, the half-orc starts walking up the steps into the darkness with his flashy light in hand.

Not long after that, an even more beleaguered looking Andron rushes back into the room, his heavy breathing going unheard. This time he is not only covered in filth and reeking of the dead, but his forearm and wrist are horribly burned now as well. The smell of his roasted flesh and bubbling puss causes Plawkht to come forward up the hall to see what’s cooking. The troglodyte seems to become agitated by the strange circle of silence surrounding the nearly unconscious priest.

Actions?

positions:
You’re in the hallway.

Maag AC5 19/19 (Flashlight Stone)
Alordan AC3 18/22
Cresty AC4 8/11
Lerrick 4 AC5 15/20 1st 0/5 2nd 1/4 (Light Stone)
Tlachtga 3 AC7 22/23 1st 4/5 2nd 0/4 3rd 1/2
Andron 3/2 AC10 2/13 CL: 1st 0/4 2nd 0/3 MU: RM, DM, CL 0/2 (Torch) Silence:2 FT: 1
Torbath AC8 5/5 1/1 RM, DM, CL
Plawkht AC5 10/12 (Stench)

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

If it was possible that Andron could appear even more pale than when the last time he emerged from the storage room door, suffice it to say, he was. In spades. After doing a quick head count and realizing Maag is investigating the stairs, Andron waves for the others to follow the thief and tosses the pebble with the silence spell cast upon it into the alcove he came from.

When they catch up to the half-orc and are beyond range of the silence effect, he nudges Maag with his uninjured arm and gestures to the area of the wall where the lever is installed. "There is a lever to open the secret door in the altar, Mr. Maag."

While the thief works out the lever, Andron pours the entires contents of a waterskin onto his terribly burned arm and also the box and prayer beads to wash off the worst of the fetid, rotten funk. He grimaces in pain and grits his teeth as he recalls for the group everything he saw ... and smelled.

"It appears the group that activated the first obelisk has also done something with that obelisk itself. Hence, the inner red light within the red circle. It would seem our next objective is to do the same, which according to the diagram, the grey obelisk should be west, by northwest from here."

After providing the important update, he changes the subject to his injury and the objects he recovered. "No man deserves a fate rotting in that hell hole. I felt compelled to preserve some part of him ... Brother Gilbert, if I recall correctly." He gently hands the prayer beads to Lerrick. "He was a priest of Pelor. Perhaps you could send it to your clergyman on the mainland and they could deliver it to his next of kin?"

Andron then holds up his burned, blistered, inflamed arm. "Rot grubs was the toll I paid for my effort. Mr. Torbath's torch was again invaluable." He nods in appreciation to the human mage. "Unfortunately, the King was not roused from his throne. It was too risky to attempt distracting him to examine the sword."

[kruk]

Andronichishche

After providing the important update, he changes the subject to his injury and the objects he recovered. "No man deserves a fate rotting in that hell hole. I felt compelled to preserve some part of him ... Brother Gilbert, if I recall correctly." He gently hands the prayer beads to Lerrick. "He was a priest of Pelor. Perhaps you could send it to your clergyman on the mainland and they could deliver it to his next of kin?"

Cresty

As Lerrick begins to open her hand to receive the prayer beads, the fighter steps forward and bows his lhead slightly.

Andron, let me be the one to delver the beads to Brother Gilbert's next of kin. I believe that something like this has to be done in person. If we survive this quest, I will leave immediately once we all get back to town.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Andronichishche nods to Cresty and hands him the prayer beads. "Though you may have lost the divine favor of a paladin, you still possess the honor of one, my friend." He then proceeds to examine the contents of the box while Maag leads them from the gates of perdition.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga will offer first aid to Andron (she is out of CLW).

[kruk]

Lerrick

The cleric reaches inter her waist pouch and pulls out the egg she found on the island. Perhaps one of these liquids can help with your injury Andron.

Can't find the post which states what each of the six vials are.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan asks “so that’s it? You got what you needed? Do all the stones need to be brought back here to use? We’ll definitely need to take care of those dead things that don’t seem to realize they should stop moving...”

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"Thank you, Miss Tlachtga." Andronichishche winces in pain as the druid tends to the burns on his wrist and arm. Although the pain is excruciating, he gently waves off the cleric's offer of a potion. "Please save them for wounds worthy of their magic. I will be fine. The pain is bearable and serves as an important lesson in observation."

He nods in response to Alordan's question. "Yes. The sphere worked and the next obelisk is activated. There were only two sconces that accept a sphere. They were not marked, though. It seems this location would accept any two colored spheres to activate the adjacent obelisks. Therefore, to activate the rest, we will need to visit the other three structures that logically also have a pair of sconces. Fortunately, I don't believe the spheres must be used in specific sconces."

At the mention of the undead wraiths, the half-elf only barely contains a nervous tremble. "I agree they must be destroyed, but ... I am not so sure now we can. Maag was unable to unlock the door, so to lure them into a trap upstairs would require using the secret door in the storage room. It's a delicate plan."

Here's a link to the potion post.
viewtopic.php?p=507659#p507659

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

The priest of Rao carefully considers the situation and even references the notes in his journal several times before arriving at a decision. "The wraiths do pose a significant threat if they should ever escape from the catacombs. However ... the obelisks still call to me, like an ever present itch in my mind. We've also just activated the other temple obelisk, so our next objective should be to locate it and secure whatever knowledge or artifacts it contains."

Andron surveys the group, looking for signs of consensus, or at least tacit acceptance. "I also expect the kobolds will eventually return, and in greater numbers. I propose we leave the temple and close the altar behind us. Miss Tlachtga seals the underground door as she did before and we leave immediately for Beachtown to recuperate."

[Rex]

Tlachtga

"It seems a good plan, I am running low on spells but I have 1 more stone shape in me."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag stands at the top of the stairs, holding the altar/door open. "Get a move on der lot of yer," he grumbles. "I am bustin' for a slash an' I would rather do it out der in der bushes dan right 'ere in a temple. I 'ave got enuff problems wivvout Pelor comin' after me".

[OGRE MAGE]

I will assume everyone is on board with leaving. If you want to go back in and play with the wraiths instead, just let me know.

Again, I would like to thank everyone for their patience here for the last couple of weeks. I think we are done with the one-man-show tactics now. I appreciate everyone tolerating that business, and we should be back to being a normal party where everyone gets to act on their own from now on.

The Plan Works
Earthday, 4th of Harvester
Mid Morning, Warm, Sunny, Buggy

Andron waves off the potion from Lerrick, dealing with the pain as best he can as Tlachtga binds his horrible wound. The metal box he found contains a basic fire starting flint and steel laying in a fluffy gob of what looks like dirty cotton. Cresty takes the crusty horrible smelling beads from the priest.

Alordan questions if they have done what they set out to do here, getting a positive response from Andron who then indicates that their next task would be to locate the obelisk at the 7 o'clock position on the diagram, the one he believes he has just activated with the sphere. With no safe way to deal with the dangerous undead, the group appears ready to leave this ordeal behind them.

With Maag already departed up the stairs, the groups leader suggests they all move up to the temple and start making their way back to town again. Maag opens the altar doorway by sliding the lever, and it opens to the temple above, now slightly illuminated by the morning light shining in. The thug doesnt spot any danger, mentioning a little too much information about some bodily functions he needs to address soon.

Actions?

positions:

7ED271F6-3822-4E8C-BCAD-8B1C8091104B.jpeg (63.18 KiB) Viewed 328 times

Maag AC5 19/19 (Flashlight Stone)
Alordan AC3 18/22
Cresty AC4 8/11
Lerrick 4 AC5 15/20 1st 0/5 2nd 1/4 (Light Stone)
Tlachtga 3 AC7 22/23 1st 4/5 2nd 0/4 3rd 1/2
Andron 3/2 AC10 2/13 CL: 1st 0/4 2nd 0/3 MU: RM, DM, CL 0/2
Torbath AC8 5/5 1/1 RM, DM, CL
Plawkht AC5 10/12 (Stench)

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga heads out with the others, planning on casting stone shape once in place.

[Quonundrum]

I appreciate everyone's patience, too. I had to ensure my OOC knowledge did not affect Andron's decisions, which slowed the exploration significantly. I also struggled a lot about how to deal with the wraiths given that limited knowledge. Aside from the traditional bull rush and let the dice fall where they may approach!

[kruk]

Cresty and Lerrick

The fighter and the cleric pack up their respective gear to go. As they do so the cleric states out loud. One day I, and anyone who wants to help, will to come back here and rid the catacombs of the foul wraiths permanently.

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag leads the way to the temple entrance, keeping a wary eye open for any kobold traps as he goes. Once he gets there, he holds the door open for the others to pass through and drifts to the rear of the party. "I am going to get anuvver bamboo pole once we get out der", he mutters, half to himself.

[gurusql]

Torbath

Torbath and Plawkht return to the surface, watching for kobold surprises as they exit.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan will make sure to reclaim the cabin before setting out. "So these obelisks - what are they all about do you think?"

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

Andronichishche cradles his burnt arm, still throbbing with pain and only made more severe with the increase in temperature above ground. "I will certainly assist you in that effort, Miss Lerrick. There are also areas to explore which may yet contain more information about the nature of the island and the Wizard ..." He looks sideways at Maag, "... and treasure, almost certainly more treasure."

He rubs his chin in thought with the uninjured hand before answering the ranger's question. When he finally responds, the words sound hesitant, contemplative. "I have a ... working theory, if one could call it that. The medusa, Melania, believed the obelisks could transport her and Marquees anywhere they desired. Away from the Wizard's captivity. Consider then that the entire island itself just suddenly appeared one day. An event that we have since learned attracted attention from major powers on the mainland. Perhaps the obelisks can do more than transport individuals, but also transport the island itself! Such powerful magic would appear as a Big Shiny light to those attuned to sense it."