Barrowmaze IV: Delving for Power and Glory

[redwarrior]

Isvand sets about his first ever real-world trap detection, trying to remember everything he was taught while in town. He feels certain that he’s found everything that there is to find, and looks up to share that information with the group.

FaRT target 25 [1d100]=22

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Let me know when I am good to start pushing this thing Isvand."

[Spearmint]

Isvand for succeeding on your first thieves skill check, take the remove score as a bonus +22xp

The halfling slides his fingers around the sealed portal, the large stone covering the entrance to the barrow interior. Your fingers become slick with an oil substance and slowly poking with some tripwire of your own, you remove a flint and steel setup that scratches a spark should the door be rolled open. A warm welcome back into the mound indeed. Instead, you disable the trigger device and can roll the stone free of the carved bears grasps to open up.

Several flasks of oil have been pooled on the floor but you can harmlessly step over them and enter the chamber. It is quiet and free of any intruder inside. But you note intruders have been in for the little Steban soldier tribute is no longer in place, at attention in an alcove.

The sarcophagus chamber is also bare. Not bear, no the carcass of the zombie was dealt with before and surprisingly, the interred remains of Silas and the Knights who were sacked up and placed in his coffer, have also been taken away.

The larger bear sarcophagus has its lid in place. The chambers swept of all camp detritus, cooking fire embers and any food scraps swept away. Cobwebs dusted.

It is as silent as the grave'.

actions please

[OGRE MAGE]

“Well done Isvand! Very impressive! I thought something seemed amiss.”

Sven turns as pale as a ghost when he sees the interior of the mound.

“Son of a…..”

“Trapped from the inside? All cleaned up? Bodies missing? This in not good.”

“I’d say the cultists have figured out our routine and tracked us back here. That means the stuff we left behind down there is now gone. What’s worse, if they took the remains of the knights, we will likely face them as undead monsters again at some point. It is highly possible that the coffin with the secret door is trapped too. And probably the door itself.”

Hoping he is totally wrong, Sven has all three thieves check the sarcophagus for traps, and then the door inside as well.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth keeps watch as the trap finders do their work.

"Maybe we need to change our plan?"

[OGRE MAGE]

While he waits for Isvand, Gnimish, and Amos to decide who will search the sarcophagus first, Sven casts his Detect Magic spell to see if there are any magical traps upon the vessel first. (looking inside as well, once the top is opened)

1st Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+1]=22+1=23 this is just getting annoying at this point

Once that is complete, he looks around the room with his enhanced vision to search for any invisible cleaning people.

"You might be right, Orgoth. Our mess being cleared up confounds me. I wonder why the cultists would be concerned about the cleanliness of the interior of this mound."

[Rex]

Orgoth

"I don't like the idea of searching for another entrance but it seems almost guaranteed there is one. But who knows how long and how many undead or wild beats we will have to face with no chance of loot."

[Spearmint]

ok. Let me do a reaction.

Amos F/R traps vs 20%, Treyvor F/R traps vs 35% [1d100]=26 [1d100]=100

I rolled this in preparation of my update. Amos and Treyvor scan the two sarcophagi. Both are apparently free of traps and an examination in detail is made of the actual trapdoor that is in the bottom of the bear coffer. The false panel door, the seal and the pull ring are intricately viewed, dust blown from the hinges, even smell checked for strange powders and odours, however nothing untoward is noticed.

(with the 100 being a critical fail I might have adjudicated the trap went off)

but before any further progress is done ... Sven casts a detection of his own, inspecting for traces of arcane not mechanical or physical nature.

The trapdoor does give a hue of some imbued abjuration and evocation. You cannot see what it is but bearing in mind your unseen nemesis might be a cultist acolyte, you could reasonably assume some glyph has been inscribed on the trapdoor to ward it from intruders.

With that in mind, what would you like to do next?

[OGRE MAGE]

Can you remind me what spells Amos and Truro have prepared for the day, please? (Amos is level 2/2 now?)

Sven holds his hand out to the others so nobody touches the secret door.

"This door is warded magically, though I have no means to learn exactly how."

He looks to Gerdal and the clerics. "Do any of you have the ability to dispel such magic?"

Sven wonders if it is simply a warning of some kind, or even an alarm that will sound down below once opened.

"Do any of you possess the means to cast a shroud of silence around this area, just in case it is an alarm of some kind?"

He looks up at the most hale member of the group, his friend Orgoth. "Does anyone feel like just opening it anyway, even if we cant rid it of this unseen trap?"

[Rex]

Orgoth

"I am up for giving it a try. Is there anything anyone can do to help protect or make me tougher for the attempt?"

[Spearmint]

notes on Amos & Truro

Amos

He is a C2 / T1 ,
AC 6, Studded leather, Dex +1AC
HP 13,

(Dex 15, Wis 15).

4 x daily 1st level spells plus Read Magic. As a cleric of Arcantryl, he has learned the Mage spell Shield. He may cast any 'touch' based spell via a melee attack/weapon as part of Arcantryl domain benefits.

He carries a scroll of Protection from Evil and two vials of Holy Water. He bears a long Quarterstaff and a mace. He also has a set of Thieves Tools.

Current spell loadout: CLW, CLW, Shield, Bless, Read Magic.

Truro, young itinerant evangelist hiring himself out via the Mercenary Guild.

Cleric of St Ygg's. Accompanying Sven's Barrowmaze IV expedition.

C1,
AC 5 chainmail,
hp 5,
Q-staff, mace.

Has +2 x 1st level (& +1 x 2nd level when advanced) Wisdom bonus spells, plus one for level plus domain spell of Light, that he may cast daily.

Usually loaded out with 2 x CLW'S, Light, Remove Fear.

Str 10, Int 10, Wis 15, Dex 11, Con 12, Cha 9

[Rex]

Orgoth

I have to go into work early today. I will be back on late tonight but feel free to NPC or have Sven direct Orgoth to keep things moving (he is still under Charm Person).

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven looks down at his augmented leather coat, remembering that it might be perfect for this type of job. He looks to Amos next, making sure he is ready to save him if things go horribly wrong again.

"Stand back everyone. I will attempt to open the door myself."

Once everyone is out of the immediate area, he hides his head inside his coat and hand inside his sleeve before reaching in to grab onto the pull ring.

He squints his eyes and mutters. "Leaders gotta lead, right?"

[sastaz]

Gerdal speaks up after a moment of silence.

"I think I know the incantation the cult - for it must be the cult - used to clean this place. It appears to be a standard spell you learn at The Arcane Collage. Not that I went there, I was cleaning pots at the time, but one of the scrolls I studied during our rest in Helix must have been from one of those novice books. Should I have the invisible hands open the trapdoor for us?"

SM does tha trapdoor seem light enough to be lifted by an Unseen Servant?

[sastaz]

Gerdal seems to have spoken as Sven was on his way (simultaneous posts).

[Spearmint]

Smokie pads across, he sits wagging his bushy tail and snuzzles at the young mage, giving him a wet lick on the nose. He feels the empathetic bond, "Hooman, you is a hero."

Smokie then retreats to the shield himself behind Silas coffer and covers his eyes and ears with his paws.

Sven could you roll a 1d100 vs 25 and a 1d20+3 please

[OGRE MAGE]

Sorry about the cross post sas.

I don't think the US could lift the door though. (20 pound max?)

If Sven is still alive, he will be happy to discuss what went wrong.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven could you roll a 1d100 vs 25 and a 1d20+3 please

Oh no...... I didn't think there would be ROLLS involved!

Random Percentile Roll [1d100]=10 ok?

Random D20 [1d20]=9 +3 = 12

[Spearmint]

Whilst everyone shields from an unexpected danger in the next chamber and the wolf nearby, ready at least to serve him his last rites as he served Knievel, Sven pulls on the trap door.

There is a sudden conflagration, an immolation, an explosion of liquid flame as if the Abyss itself reached into the barrow. The coffer splinters and shards ricochet around the room though injuries are few apart from bruises. Dust and smoke envelopes the sarcophagus chamber and wiping eyes you see.

[Spearmint]

Fireball [6d6]=21

The trapdoor liquifies into molten lava. The mage, standing in the sarcophagus sinks below the fiery slurry, the last image, horrifying as he waves a final goodbye.