Ch. 2: Into The Tomb of Horrors

[Grognardsw]

Though I don't know what has gone before in the dungeon, I vote for staying in this room.

[Zhym]

How much time would it take to retreat outside, avoiding the traps we have identified?

You're not that far from the entrance. If you aren't in map-and-explore mode, you can travel the 90' of crawlway and about 120' of hallway within a turn.

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[Nuke66]

I vote to exit...

[zebediah]

So does Zoster.

[max_vale]

I'm good either way....

[NJWilliam]

Worren favors exiting and setting up a secure shelter outside at the camp.

[Grognardsw]

I didn't know we were that close out. So exit.

[Zhym]

You work your way back to the exit to rest. When you get there, ol' Rourke is waiting for you, with two people you haven't seen before.

"Well whaddya know," he cackles, "Ye survived a day on the inside. Good on ya. Got a couple more victims, er, 'vol'nteers' t' join ye. Meet Eduardo the Fabulous—he really be callin' himself that—and Abrex Myzeen."

Welcome CubbyPixie and Cwreando!

Any spells etc. before you turn in for the night?

Status: Xale (F8/C8): 53/54; Malvexa (F0): 5/6; Elsa (F10): 57/58; Zoster (F9/D12): 74/76; Wolf: 11/12; Malibran (C10): 63/68; Worren (C9/MU11): 52/53; Mason (Mk10): 34/56; Eduardo (F10): 84/84; Abrex (R9/MU11): 103/103

[zebediah]

I suggest that we use any divination magic we still have available before we rest, so we can try to obtain more information on where to go next. says the druid to his companions.

The druid will try to use Stone Shape and Transmute Rock to Mud in the entrance corridor to attempt undoing the pit traps previously identified by the group (fixing in place the trap lids or melting them down, whatever is feasible, if feasible). Failing that he will try to use the same spells on the walls to check for any hidden doors/passages.

Zhym, please let me know how well Zoster fares with the above, depending on the results he might try a couple of other tricks.

[Zhym]

Transmute rock to mud is your idea of a divination spell?

I'd need more detail on how you want to use stone shape to neutralize traps or find secret doors.

The area of effect of transmute rock to mud is huge: if cast by Zoster, it's 96,000 square feet. If used for the entire 130'x20' main hall it would have to be 37' deep. But it can only be half the depth of its length "and/or" breadth. I'm going to interpret that as meaning the depth has to be no more than half of the width or breadth, whichever is smaller.

What this boils down to, I think, is that I'm going to disallow use of transmute rock to mud inside the tomb. The area of effect is so vast that it's really more like transmute dungeon to mud, and I don't want to try to calculate the effects on everything in the tomb if you used it. Even if I did allow it, all you'd get is a 130' long, 20' wide, 37' deep pool of mud that would kill anyone who tried to traverse it and that wouldn't dry for quite a while.

Besides, the pits, now that they're marked, aren't a danger.

[zebediah]

As a point of order, Zoster has already used Transmute rock to mud, when we have been faced by a stone wall trap early in our incursion. While I see your point with respect to the area being tricky to arbitrate in this circumstances I'm afraid this might remove one of the key advantages of having a druid inside a dungeon. (Your call, of course, just pointing it out)

As for Stone shape my thoughts were of reforming the stone on the floor in a way that "locks" down the trap. Does this make sense? As in making the stone of the trap lid whole with the rest of the floor. If this is not possible then Zoster would try to simply mark it down so we would have an easier time spotting (and avoiding) it in the future.

Yeah, that's an interesting take on divinations, isnt it?

[Zhym]

I'm aware of the previous use of transmute stone to mud, and I don't have any problem with that use. If pressed, I'd justify it by saying that the area of effect was limited by targeting one specific rock.

By that logic, you could transmute a stone statute to mud even if it's less than 96,000 cubic feet, or a stone door, but not stone floors or walls unless you're willing to have 96,000 square feet of the dungeon around you turn to mud. In other words, the spell expands to fill the amount of available rock. With the stone trap, I'd say that the stone block was a different "rock" than the surrounding corridor.

As for the traps in that hallway, I plan to treat the marked and exposed pit traps as no longer interesting and thus safe. It's easy enough to go around them.

[zebediah]

So it's not a matter of the spell being innefective but rather the risk of having the dungeon collapse on top of our happy druid. Makes perfect sense to me.

Ok, for the traps Zoster will proceed with Stone Shape as indicated previously.

Once that is done the druid will summon an earth elemental. I'll take this via PM with you Zhym so we don't clutter the IC thread more than needed, if that's fine with you.

[Cwreando]

Abrex says to all, "Well met. Sorry I'm late but I was ambushed 3 times just trying to get here (Embellishing a bit here.) Can one of you bring me up to speed on the situation here? I am a skilled ranger and once I got the taste of the mystical arts, it has been my passion. What have you run into so far in there? It will help me figure out what spells I might need or what weapons I should use. Are you guys coming out to rest and heal up? Oh here meet my Dire wolf - Ula and the cat rubbing on my boot is my black cat Familiar Lucky. If you need help setting up camp let me give you a hand."

OOC - Glad to be here.

[Grognardsw]

"Welcome Abrex, I am Elsa," says the half-orc sword mistress. "We need more steel and spell to bring to bear on this dread dungeon. We lost some brave souls to snakes most poisonous, and now are here to rest mind and body. We are uncertain if slain comrades can be returned to life by divine magics."

The green-skinned fighter recaps the recent expedition to Abrex while drinking from her water skin and eating rations. She then lights a camp fire and proceeds to sharpen her weapons, check armor straps, and make small talk.

[Cwreando]

"Welcome Abrex, I am Elsa," says the half-orc sword mistress. "We need more steel and spell to bring to bear on this dread dungeon. We lost some brave souls to snakes most poisonous, and now are here to rest mind and body. We are uncertain if slain comrades can be returned to life by divine magics."

The green-skinned fighter recaps the recent expedition to Abrex while drinking from her water skin and eating rations. She then lights a camp fire and proceeds to sharpen her weapons, check armor straps, and make small talk.

Abrex tells Elsa, "I'm sorry to hear you have lost part of your group in there. I hope I can help on both counts of steel and spell. Thanks for bringing me up to speed on what you have encountered so far in there."

Abrex looks at the other seasoned adventurers and hopes to learn more of each of them. He helps set up camp and he starts nibbling on some rations dropping tidbits to Ula who sits quietly by his side. Lucky sits in his lap and takes a morsel from time to time.

Abrex says, "Once I get a feel for your combat tactics and strategies I can better meld into your group. If you need more steel I can lend it or if you need more spells I will assist you there as well."

[ChubbyPixie]

"I believe I may be the steel you are looking for," says Eduardo stepping forward and making a slight bow, addressing the group. Rune encrusted spear in hand and wearing full plate armor, which is in remarkably excellent condition, he looks very much the part of a heroic adventurer. The parts, however, on first impression, somehow don't deliver the whole you'd expect. Maybe it's his somehow over-confident, knowing smile. Maybe it's his somehow too average average looks behind the shining armor façade. It's hard to put your finger on.

"Um... All that happened in one day?" he asks, gesturing at the bodies and trying to sound unfazed. He almost succeeds.

[Grognardsw]

"Welcome Eduardo," says Elsa the Fair. "That armor looks fabulous, if I may say so. Aye, in one day - indeed in under 30 minutes in one chamber - those unfortunate heroes died from poison. I thank the gods the venom did not down me as well."

So are the dead characters going to be raised, or do we proceed back in?

[Zhym]

Zoster uses his stone shape spell to jam up all the pit traps.

Where do you head next? Back to the room with the chests, to explore the tunnel leading out of it? Or do you want to explore the main hall some more? There's still the arch at the end of the hallway. And that big green demon face's open maw looks inviting...

[Grognardsw]

Elsa / outside

Before proceeding back into the dungeon, Elsa prepares for burial of her dead comrades Fosco and Halbrad.

“I will honor these brave souls by using their equipment to conquer this tomb,” says Elsa. “They would wish it.”

She takes Fosco’s ring and boots, and Halbrad’s ring, plate armor and potion. Then she buries them.

“Let us vanquish this evil,” the sword mistress says, entering the dungeon with the adventurers.

I wasn't in the early part of the dungeon, is there a map of what the group has gone through thus far?