Jan 10, 2022 11:03 am
Berry lifts his bow, aiming at the darkness, ready for anything , "Something wicked this way comes," he whispers.
Chapter 2: The First Seal
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Jan 10, 2022 11:41 am
You train your weapons at the darkness, but nothing comes. It's deathly silent apart from the gateway. You feel something lurking, watching from the gloom to the northwest. Wait, did you only imagine an odd squelching? Hairs on your arm bristle, as when a thunderstorm is brewing.
What do you do?
What do you do?
Jan 11, 2022 10:50 pm
Breaking out of his protracted, ill-timed silence, the young scholar turned to his companions and finally spoke. "Coming where? What?" he asked, in a confused tone. Seeing the two more experienced adventurer's stance and focus on the northwest passage, he added, in a whisper, "Want me to illuminate that side of the cave? I'm not sure I have what it takes to handle this gate... not now, in any case.". He began quietly rummaging through his affairs, thinking of different incantations he could call upon to handle the present situation.
OOC:
Sorry for holding everybody up. Have had a very busy time. I'll fill the others in on his assessment of the gate once we are not handling a more immediate and physical threat. Laurent could cast light in the northwest corner, to scare or reveal whatever it is that is making these disgusting squelching sounds. If your express agreement on that, please assume I have cast the spell, Jabes and Len.
Jan 12, 2022 4:26 am
OOC:
Sorry matmaisan, doesn't look like your character has the light cantrip. Were you referring to a different spell or a class ability?Jan 12, 2022 10:54 am
OOC:
I was absolutely sure I had the light cantrip. Should’ve checked. So what he means is that he is willing to head there with a light source, I suppose… he could be protected by magic on the way there.Last edited January 12, 2022 4:39 pm
Jan 12, 2022 4:42 pm
Scratching his head in confusion, Laurent turned to his new comrades. "Do you have a light source? I seem to have forgotten to bring one. But I can have it carried ahead of us," and as to demonstrate his sentence, his quarterstaff began floating five, ten feet away from him.
OOC:
I can use mage hand to transport a lantern or torch a bit further away. Sorry for the confusion regarding my own spell list. *facepalm*
Jan 13, 2022 5:37 am
OOC:
Assuming Berry or Tilma offer up their hooded lantern:OOC:
Anything else you'd like to do here? You've accomplished your goal to confirm this warehouse is the topside access point to the Seal of Astaroth. If you'd like to study it further, you're welcome to, but doing so tempts the fates and may require you to tangle with those tentacles. You're welcome to leave at any time as well, and think about your next move.
Jan 13, 2022 8:20 am
"So what do we do now? Do we deal with the thing? Laurent are you done with studying the gate? Do we go through it? Do we go through it? Or do we need more time to study it? If we need to study it more, do we kill the thing so that it doesn't bother us? Or do we leave it here to guard the gate from others? We Could try to tame it a little to attack others but not us. Try might be the right word. I'm still not hundred percent sure how I will tame my cockatrice..."
She still points the crossbow towards where the creature is and stays sharp while waiting for others to give their ideas or plan of action.
She still points the crossbow towards where the creature is and stays sharp while waiting for others to give their ideas or plan of action.
Rolls
Nature (in case it's something I've encountered before) - (1d20-1)
(20) - 1 = 19
Jan 13, 2022 9:06 am
"I’m not sure we can open it," Laurent answered, still concentrating on illuminating the tentacled thing the light had revealed. "Tge green stone, the broken one, shrouds the gate with a protective veil, probably how it has stayed undetected so long. Something broke it, so the veil is slightly lifted every time the green energy flares in those arcs. The purple stone is functional, and could contain another kind of magic: perhaps transmutative, if it is what changes the stone into something that allows passage, as the odd disappearing wall above."
As a tentacle squirmed in the nearby tunnel, his eyes shot back to the northwest, and beads of sweat began to pearl on his brow.
"We could attempt to touch the portal, try to manipulate it. But not with a flesh eating aberrationlurking in the shadows."
As a tentacle squirmed in the nearby tunnel, his eyes shot back to the northwest, and beads of sweat began to pearl on his brow.
"We could attempt to touch the portal, try to manipulate it. But not with a flesh eating aberrationlurking in the shadows."
Jan 16, 2022 3:24 am
Berry takes one of his bolts and absently scratches behind his ear.
"How dangerous would it be to take that gem out?"
"How dangerous would it be to take that gem out?"
Jan 16, 2022 4:02 am
Tilma is fairly certain the creature is a Grell.
[ +- ] About Grell
A grell resembles a bulbous floating brain with a wide, sharp beak. Its ten long tentacles are made of hundreds of ring-shaped muscles sheathed in tough fibrous hide. Sharp barbs line the tip each tentacle and inject paralytic venom. The grell can partially retract its barbs into its tentacles to handle or manipulate objects it doesn’t want to pierce or tear.
Grells have no eyes and floats by means of a sort of levitation. They have keen hearing, however, and their skin is sensitive to vibrations and electrical fields, allowing them to detect the presence of creatures and objects in their immediate vicinity. The creature’s ability to manipulate electricity to sense and move also allow it to absorb lightning without harm.
Although solitary by nature, grells sometimes gather in small groups called covens.
Floating Ambushers. A grell prefers to ambush lone creatures or stragglers, hovering silently near the ceiling of a passage or cavern until a suitable target passes below, whereupon it descends quickly and wraps its tentacles around its prey. It then floats away to its lair with the paralyzed creature in its clutches.
Alien Devourers. Grell are alien predators that group other creatures into three categories: edibles, inedibles, and Great Eaters (those rare creatures that might prey on a grell). Grells have no compunction about attacking creatures they classify as edible, including humanoids. They tend to avoid bigger creatures that they have little hope of carrying away.
A grell will sometimes allow adventurers to wage war on the other monstrous inhabitants of the dungeon complex it calls home, staying out of the adventurers’ way as they dispose of larger threats while waiting for the right time to strike.
Grells have no eyes and floats by means of a sort of levitation. They have keen hearing, however, and their skin is sensitive to vibrations and electrical fields, allowing them to detect the presence of creatures and objects in their immediate vicinity. The creature’s ability to manipulate electricity to sense and move also allow it to absorb lightning without harm.
Although solitary by nature, grells sometimes gather in small groups called covens.
Floating Ambushers. A grell prefers to ambush lone creatures or stragglers, hovering silently near the ceiling of a passage or cavern until a suitable target passes below, whereupon it descends quickly and wraps its tentacles around its prey. It then floats away to its lair with the paralyzed creature in its clutches.
Alien Devourers. Grell are alien predators that group other creatures into three categories: edibles, inedibles, and Great Eaters (those rare creatures that might prey on a grell). Grells have no compunction about attacking creatures they classify as edible, including humanoids. They tend to avoid bigger creatures that they have little hope of carrying away.
A grell will sometimes allow adventurers to wage war on the other monstrous inhabitants of the dungeon complex it calls home, staying out of the adventurers’ way as they dispose of larger threats while waiting for the right time to strike.
Jan 16, 2022 4:08 am
As for the ramifications of taking the stones or tampering with the portal, nobody in the group has any sure answers as to what may happen.
Jan 17, 2022 6:36 am
"That tentacle..." tilma thinks to herself. That tentacle looked familiar. "That's right! It's a Grell! They are like big floating brain with a bird-beak with a bunch of tentacles. Be careful of those tentacles as they might seem thin but they are actually pretty strong and those sharp barb like things at the tip of each tentacle can paralyze you. Also don't think that because the thing has no eyes that we have an advantage, naah it's more the other way around. The thing has an excellent hearing and some other sense that allows it to find us. What plays in our advatage however is that mostly these things are alone. We are actually lucky that it was so direct on approaching us. Usually they tend to ambush, hovering silently near the ceiling of a passage and when you pass below, it descends quickly and wraps its tentacles around its you." Tilma shivers as she remembers "I fell prey to one of them long ago. Was lucky that an adventurer found me in its lair."
Jan 17, 2022 8:18 am
"Think we can handle it?" Laurent asked, his lack of experience clearly showing. "I say we either pick it out now, or then move somewhere else. We have to decide if we take the stones, or one stone at least." He looked at Tilma, and then Berry, wondering what they were thinking.
Jan 19, 2022 6:53 am
"Yes, I think we can handle it. Just have to keep distance from those tentacles."
Jan 20, 2022 1:11 am
As the others are talking Berry is staring at the gems, particularly the damaged one. Before he was cautious about removing it but now he felt reassured by the presence of Laurent.
He reaches out and tried to remove it.
He reaches out and tried to remove it.
Jan 20, 2022 7:26 am
Jabes.plays.RPG says:
So you touch it? Ok.OOC:
Haha, Jabes just wanted to score better on this! Hopefully only on #17, not #1 :D:D:D[ +- ] DM's Never Have I Ever
Jan 20, 2022 7:32 am
Berry reaches down to the green crystal and lifts it from the ground. It is heavy, maybe 30 to 40 lbs. As he lifts it, the arcing magical energy redirect from the gate and into his body!
Result: Berry takes 9 lightning damage and the crystal tumbles out of his grasp, but it does not break (just barely)The crystal tumbles out of Berry's grasp after it zaps him and it clinks onto the smooth stone ground. Somehow, it doesn't break, but the arcs of electric energy are lashing out randomly now instead of into the gate.
Berry certainly feels something is different, like he's under the effect of a spell or enchantment.
Shortly after Berry removes the crystal, you feel a strong tremor rumble through the ground. A nearby stone statue topples over, and smashes into a hundred pieces.
OOC:
I'll roll a DC 13 con saving throw for Berry, with advantage on account of his natural Gnomish magic resistance. If he fails, he will take 3d6 lightning damage and drops the crystal (30% chance of breaking), if he succeeds, he takes 1/2 damage but manages to hold onto it. Result: Berry takes 9 lightning damage and the crystal tumbles out of his grasp, but it does not break (just barely)
Berry certainly feels something is different, like he's under the effect of a spell or enchantment.
Shortly after Berry removes the crystal, you feel a strong tremor rumble through the ground. A nearby stone statue topples over, and smashes into a hundred pieces.
Rolls
Seabury Berry Timbers: Constitution save (advantage) - (1d20+1, 1d20+1)
1d20+1 : (9) + 1 = 10
1d20+1 : (3) + 1 = 4
Lightning damage - (3d6)
(243) = 9
Breakage? - (1d10)
(4) = 4
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