Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[ERYFKRAD]

"Is there any manner of fire we can send into these holes? We'd either flush them out our way, where we'd have the element of surprise. Or we seal the holes and let them get suffocated to death by smoke."

 

[Grimgravy]

"I don't think we have fuel to sustain a fire long enough to smoke things out. I'd suggest we close the doors and move on."

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Let me know when you've all come to some kind of consensus and what your next step is.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Let me show you the options." Rhenmyr leads the way back to the stairwell. "Two creatures attacked from this stairwell. Beyond the second stairwell is the pit chamber I mentioned. Thoughts on where we should go? The two creatures didn't seem too formidable."

 

[L'ennui]

"Well, whatever awaits us where those two things came from, at least we know there are two less foes there now. I propose we go that way. "

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"I'm definitely not going back into that passage. I don't care where we go besides that."

 

[Helly]

"Just, just give me some time. What were those THINGS?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"The two down there hissed and looked none too healthy. Loose skin and oozing sores."

 

[Grimgravy]

"If no one has more to add, lets do as Urash suggests." Rhenmyr leads the way down the stairs.

OOC

nikolokolus I think we're good to go but wonder if people aren't getting notifications here and in DCC.

 

[nikolokolus]

"If no one has more to add, lets do as Urash suggests." Rhenmyr leads the way down the stairs.

OOC

nikolokolus I think we're good to go but wonder if people aren't getting notifications here and in DCC.

OOC

I'm not getting them with any regularity. I did get this one though. In any case, onward!

The narrow and steep stairs are worn smooth as if many footsteps have ground them down through the long ages. At the bottom the two jumbled bodies prove a minor obstacle, but they are easily enough stepped over or pulled off of the threshold. Upon closer inspection you notice slightly elongated canine teeth protruding down from their upper jaws, and their torsos seem slightly stretched as if they might have been in the nascent stages of transforming into whatever the other man-serpent thing was in the other room.

Stepping through the archway puts you inside a circular chamber with a high domed ceiling that is just barely illuminated by torch. In the center of the floor is a tile mosaic that looks something like a bear's head -- mouth agape and long fangs hanging down over its chin. Up against the northern wall is an oval stone bier or altar about 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide carved with ursine symbols.

Arrayed on top of the bier is a collection of very large bones, a pair of massive bony claws and a huge skull of some kind of bear.

 

[Grimgravy]

"What do you make of the 'bear' stuff, Brule?" Rhenmyr moves to check the bier making sure not to step on the mosaic.

 

[nikolokolus]

Brule shakes his head and furrows his brow, looking slightly confused. "I don't know. These symbols mean nothing to me and I don't recall anything about bears."

 

[L'ennui]

Circling along the northernmost wall, making sure to prod the floor before him with his staff, Urash will go inspect the altar. Do the inscriptions describe a scene, an act? Anything we can interpret or recognise?

 

[Siveon]

OOC

Are the items in the room familiar to Marcán in any way?

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

Since Cormac is a religious person, would he have some knowlege of a religion that worships or favors bear?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric prods the wall with his crowbar in order to discern anything of importance.

Spoiler

Looking for button switches, that sort of thing. Trying to cover the walls and the floor, and the roof if I can reach it. Roll?

 

[nikolokolus]

The engravings on the bier don't appear to be runes or symbols one would associate with language. Cormac is fairly certain that the engravings are memorializing the deceased in some way, but you aren't familiar with such burial practices.

Borric spends about ten minutes prodding at the wall looking for loose masonry and tapping the wall for hollow spaces, but turns up nothing.

Urash inspects the bier carefully without touching anything. The only noteworthy thing about is that the top of the bier has a stone surface with a lip that overhangs about an inch all around. It doesn't perfectly line up with the base of the altar.

Siveon Marcán can roll his bardic knowledge roll to see if knows anything special about the symbols

 

[Siveon]

Spoiler

Lore Check: [1d20] = 16

 

[Grimgravy]

"Something's funny with the bier. Want to see if we can shift the top, Urash?"

 

[L'ennui]

Urash hesitates for a moment.

Could it be trapped? Unlikely, but still...

He finally makes up his mind, and says:

"Um... Alright, let's give it a go."

OOC

Strength roll?

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

Strength roll?

The lid is several inches thick and seems to be composed of a dark gray stone. Urash and Rhenmyr stand at either side of the stone and test its weight. It doesn't budge with casual effort. whomever placed this stone here must have possessed the strength of a giant.

OOC

A test of strength is indeed the only way to lift the lid. It is a 5d6 strength test vs. the strongest character's Strength score. Each person that helps subtracts 1 from the roll. Characters with damage bonuses from high Strength apply (subtract) their damage bonus to the roll, and the maximum number of people who can attempt to lift the stone is four.

So decide who is going to roll and who is going to aid. Only one attempt can be made per hour.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Damn, It's heavy. Brule, Borric, Marcan, care to help me lift it? No offense, Urash. "

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac looks around for anything that catches his eye while everyone else is attempting to move the object.

 

[Siveon]

"Sure I don't mind."

Spoiler

That's -2 from me, and my bardic roll?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"I'll help as well."