Chapter 1: The mystery of Odlo Hillhouse

[AleBelly]

Is this room very chilly and freezing that the ice doesn't melt? Are the torches seemingly ever lit? He things one might contradict the other.

The room is cool, as most subterranean areas are. But it's certainly above freezing. There is no obvious sign of the ice melting (e.g. water on the floor) that one would expect given the air temperature (the air temperature is about 50F/10C)

[OGRE MAGE]

Palmero enters behind the others once he sees they are not chomped in half. He leans his heavy iron rod against the ice block.

"This is all so strange to a simple farmer, though I agree about the idea of using those torches."

The former urchin prisoner touches his hand to the ice to see if it feels cold.

[Rex]

Wenyld

Wenyld will enter and examine the torch stands near the ice cube.

[CAI4]

Bilberta and Radahn will both follow Xerxes as well.

Bilberta will examine the yellow symbols etched onto the wall since many other inscriptions as of late seem to be dwarven

[AleBelly]

The party goes further into the giant chamber. GM rolls dice

Near the back of the room, large boulders appear to have fallen from the ceiling and now rest in a pile of rubble. Amidst the fallen stones, you spot a wooden chest with copper hinges. As our adventurers approach the block of ice, the figure becomes clearer. It appears trapped deep within, frozen in some defensive position. Closer inspection reveals it to be a man garbed in regal dress, and though his hands appear to be human, his head is grotesquely frog-like. The creature’s bulbous eyes appear to follow those that look at him. In one hand, near the edge of the ice, the figure holds a thin black wand with threads of red running through it.

The recently released prisoners immediately recognize the garb in the ice as that of Varooth Moss, but the others may have known it from the prisoners' tales of a wizard with the head of a toad!

Wenyld examines the torch in the sconce on the wall through which the party entered. It gives off heat, but the torch appears to burn without consuming any fuel. Strange. Xerxes, Zygmund, Llandrin, Cotrgic, Duala, Bilberta, Palermo, and Radahn approach the ice block. Zygmund's tome tells him nothing about the runes, but he and Llandrin converse and are able to understand the runes surrounding the ice block are a magical incantation. They *think* that speaking this, and incorporating the idea of others that moving the torches from the wall into the torch holders may help get rid of the ice. The dwarves in the party are unable to read the runes...unlike others in this subterranean space they are magical in origin, not dwarven.

Palermo confirms the ice's magical properties. He leans the heavy iron rod against the ice and touches it. It produces a strange sensation. The farmer can tell it's cold, but it doesn't draw heat from his hand like normal ice does, and the heat of his hand produces no melting effect.

One by one, the party notices as a piece of chalk levitates, then scrawls on the floor: Llandrin - it has been a long time. Free me for great fortune! The eyes in the head of the wizard are looking directly at the newly freed elf.

As the chalk levitates, some of the heiroglyphs on the walls begin to glow. Faintly at first, then grow brighter. The pile of boulders in the corner of the room begins to rumble loudly and coalesce. They appear to be forming a titantic figure!

ice map.jpg (119.68 KiB) Viewed 140 times

Actions?
Will save this for a longer party discussion, but the prisoners and adventurers find they do not share a common calendar of reckoning, and the historical events their years are based on are unknown to each other.
Rex, did your other PC (besides Wenyld) enter the room?

[Rex]

Yes. Sorry I forgot about him. I need to get a sheet made up.

[Rex]

Irwin

Irwin moves into the room and stands awestruck, looking at the ice cube.

Wenyld

"Do we really want to free this thing?"

[Marullus]

"'Absolutely we do," replies Llandrin to Wenyld. "If Moldark lies dead as bones in the crevasse then it is at last safe. Varooth mended his ways and has the toad lips to show for it; we shan't change our support ahain now. One thing is certain of wizards in all my studies - one is safer than two."

"Come, move the torches, I will read the words!"

Hailey backs towards the entrance, watching the rock pile dubiously.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

"Whoever took Wenceslas pickaxe, needs come and swing it with me!"

The grave digger will hurry any fighter types to take on the stone golem before it wreaks havoc among us.

Xerxes: swings his long shovel. [1d20+1]=20+1=21 [1d4+1]=3+1=4

"The ice toad-man can wait. Releasing him might be more magic problems!" the mage shouts.

Zygmund: longsword attack [1d20]=17 [1d8]=2

[AleBelly]

Xerxes

"Whoever took Wenceslas pickaxe, needs come and swing it with me!"

The grave digger will hurry any fighter types to take on the stone golem before it wreaks havoc among us.

Xerxes: swings his long shovel. [1d20+1]=20+1=21 [1d4+1]=3+1=4

This is a critical hit! Please roll 1d4 (modified by Luck, which is -1 for Xerxes) and add the relevant effect from this table.

For those wanting to put torches in the holder, grabbing a torch from the wall and putting it in one of the holders will take a single action.

[OGRE MAGE]

Palmero takes the heavy rod and moves towards the assembling boulders, trying to thrust the iron tool into the creature like a spear.

Attack [1d20]=12

The unknown urchin former prisoner will do as instructed, taking one of the torches from the wall and inserting it into the nearest sconce surrounding the ice block.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Xerxes: critical hit bonus: [1d4-1]=3-1=2

Xerxes: critical hit bonus damage: [1d4]=2

Jabs the creature, striking an eye socket, -2hp bonus damage.

[AleBelly]

Palmero takes the heavy rod and moves towards the assembling boulders, trying to thrust the iron tool into the creature like a spear.

Attack [1d20]=12

The unknown urchin former prisoner will do as instructed, taking one of the torches from the wall and inserting it into the nearest sconce surrounding the ice block.

From a reading of the situation, Palermo thinks that swinging the rod would be more effective as a blunt attack rather than piercing. Does Palermo want to charge the assembling boulders (+2 bonus to hit, but -2 AC penalty for that round)? If he makes the blunt attack, it's 1d10 damage. 1d6 for a spear-like attack.

[Rex]

Irwin

Irwin charges the golem with his pitchfork.

Pitchfork [1d20+1]=20+1=21 to hit [1d8+1]=4+1=5 damage
Natural 20.
Critical [1d4-1]=1-1=0
Extra damage [1d6]=6
Irwin is disarmed, but 11 total damage.

[AleBelly]

The die roller is really turning to the good for you all!

[OGRE MAGE]

Palmero takes the heavy rod and moves towards the assembling boulders, trying to thrust the iron tool into the creature like a spear.

Attack [1d20]=12

The unknown urchin former prisoner will do as instructed, taking one of the torches from the wall and inserting it into the nearest sconce surrounding the ice block.

From a reading of the situation, Palermo thinks that swinging the rod would be more effective as a blunt attack rather than piercing. Does Palermo want to charge the assembling boulders (+2 bonus to hit, but -2 AC penalty for that round)? If he makes the blunt attack, it's 1d10 damage. 1d6 for a spear-like attack.

Sure! Charge and blunt attack sounds better to me.
(hopefully that wasn't a trick)

[AleBelly]

Moi? Trick anyone?

Actually I try to never do that ooc, but there may be some trickery in game…

Anyway, go ahead and roll 1d10 for damage.

[gurusql]

Cotgric & Duala

Cotgric & Duala will charge the moving rocks and join in the attack.

Cotgric attacking with a hammer
Init [1d20-1]=1-1=0
Hammer (as club) [1d20]=19 Damage [1d4]=4

Duala attcking with a pitchfork
Init [1d20-1]=7-1=6
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=1 Damage [1d8]=6

[Marullus]

Llandrin huffs as everyone runs to face the golem - he puts his own words to actions, joining the other Palermo prisoner so they both move torches.

(if only two of is, we move torches on round 1 and 2, then read the writing on round 3.

[AleBelly]

Cotgric & Duala

Duala attcking with a pitchfork
Init [1d20-1]=7-1=6
Pitchfork (as spear) [1d20]=1 Damage [1d8]=6

Duala's attack is a fumble. Please roll 1d4-2 (her luck modifier) to determine the result on this table.