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Post by at on Jun 15, 2013 5:05:19 GMT -5
Aelos looks around warily, trying to figure out where the imp will appear next.
Nearby Vadania and Ylva continue to battle the last two creatures with the aid of the summoned weapon - but even as it strikes down on one of them the magic begins to weaken and the weapon starts to fade away.
[Tag Vadania/Ylva]
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Post by harknail on Jun 16, 2013 22:43:33 GMT -5
Vadania and Ylva continue to battle the visible monsters so that the entire group could concentrate on the invisible imp.
Ylva attack:[dice=20] +6+2 (flanking) =21
damage:[dice=6]+3 =5
Vadania attack with silvered sickle:[dice=20] +2+2 (flanking) =10
damage:[dice=6]-1 =4[rand=622883152915164802488160924986005420588444219902168843195231165737]
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Post by at on Jun 17, 2013 3:24:17 GMT -5
Finally getting used to the unusual weapon Vadania cuts deeply into the creature and it slumps to the ground.
Behind them Ka'lion transforms into a wolf and chases the scent of the imp - up and away through the wide cracks in the walls and ceilings. Scrabbling up to follow Ka'lion begins to feel himself weaken from his exertions as Vadania and Aelos make short work of the final creature.
It would seem that the imp had made good use of its invisibility and flight to escape, though whether it was fleeing or collecting more creatures was impossible to know - either way the party knew now to be wary of its return.
[end of combat]
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Post by sageaqua on Jun 17, 2013 9:01:35 GMT -5
Ka'lion returns to take a look at the book. Does it look like we can take it with us? We can use the light source. "Aelos, is this a holy book that only people of a faith may read or can anyone safely read it?"
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Post by at on Jun 17, 2013 10:32:31 GMT -5
The book is bound to the pedestal by clamps of what could be gold and could likely be pried free without damaging it, with the right tools and application of force.
The writing is not of any language you know though the script bears similarities to that of common, orkish, and even elvish characters. Each page is a rigid sheet of engraved gold and while the words cannot be read Aelos turns the pages to show a short progression of images - the rise of some kind of demon, a battle against it, and it's imprisonment in a cage of holy water behind the doors that now stand before you.
Amongst the lesser creatures in the scenes of battle you can make out those that just attacked and several larger and distinct demons standing alongside the last - each defeated in turn by the heroes and the armies of man. Vadania recognises a series of peaks in the background of one of the battles - matching those of the rust hills - but not the cities or banners.
One symbol she does recognise, the holy flame that had been born by the blacksmith Grale and the order of the flame to the east. Aelos believes that some of the other symbols may be those of gods both dead and alive that have changed over the years but they are hard to make out as the engravings do not show such things in great detail.
The last page is the most distinct - it shows a great city being swallowed beneath the earth. This place perhaps, or perhaps the fate of others should the creature escape its prison.
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Post by harknail on Jun 17, 2013 12:51:35 GMT -5
Vadania is amazed by the pictures of great cities (OOC: Clearwater is the biggest city she's ever seen). After looking at the pictures, she says, "I think we need to check behind those doors to see if the holy water cage is still intact."
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Post by at on Jun 17, 2013 14:00:10 GMT -5
( "I think we need to check behind those doors to see if the holy water cage is still intact." |
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Post by harknail on Jun 17, 2013 14:02:24 GMT -5
Repost with modifications:
Vadania is amazed by the pictures of great cities (OOC: Clearwater is the biggest city she's ever seen). After looking at the pictures, she looks back the way they came and says, "This does not look good."
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Post by sageaqua on Jun 17, 2013 16:27:53 GMT -5
"It's what I expected to find. But the holy water cage is a nice touch. The imp has gone to tell the demon we found the book and that we know to much." said Ka'lion as he pulls out an ax and cuts around the hinges holding the book in place." We need to get back and out of here as fast as we can. We also need to see the vault. Even if we have to break into it. We don't have the magic we need to fight the imp or demons! An evil weapon is better then no weapon at all."
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Post by at on Jun 18, 2013 3:37:35 GMT -5
Aelos utters a brief spell over the book and then speaks, "the magic is strong but not intense, I don't think it could have prevented the demons from removing or destroying it should they have wished."
As Ka'lion pries the book free he finds that the clamps are some kind of gilded steel but the pedestal itself cracks and crumbles as he strikes it. The sound of his blows echo out through the cracks in the walls and Vadania wonders how far this place extends under Clearwater.
Besides the bronze doors there are three other exits from the room. Standing in the centre Aelos can see that the sides of the pillars facing towards the book are each engraved and gilded with the likeness of a hero or god and like the runes in the book some do seem familiar.
Approaching one of the pillars Aelos reaches out towards to touch it and then stops, "there are magical auras here" looking more closely, "this breastplate is loose"
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Post by sageaqua on Jun 18, 2013 7:25:21 GMT -5
"Collect them. We will take them with us. We may be able to reuse them. We need a upper level bard or a historian to find out what these artifacts mean. Put on the breastplate. Perhaps its possessed." said Ka'lion
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Post by harknail on Jun 18, 2013 11:09:07 GMT -5
Just for clarification, is the loose breast plate something we could wear, or is it a concealed panel for a secret chamber?
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Post by at on Jun 18, 2013 11:41:16 GMT -5
Just for clarification, is the loose breast plate something we could wear, or is it a concealed panel for a secret chamber? Aelos pulls the breastplate free, finding the backplate concealed behind within the column. It is human sized and seems functional. Straps to fit and adjust the armour are also contained within, wrapped in a shimmering silver cloth that fades to smoke as Aelos unwraps it - perhaps to stave off the passing of time on the armours bindings. Each of the five other engraved columns carries a similar item - a silver sun amulet, a longsword shaped from a single piece of darkly oiled wood, a bulky gold and iron warhammer, a decorative scarab brooch, and a stone axehead. |
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Post by harknail on Jun 18, 2013 12:50:31 GMT -5
"I don't think these items would be cursed," says Vadania as she starts handling them to try and figure out what they do.
As she's examining items she muses, "The holy symbol and the war hammer seem like things that Aelos could best use, while the breast plate could be well used by Ka'lion so he doesn't get hit so often. Ka'lion were taking most of the damage in the last fight because he didn't have any armor on. But he seems to have an aversion to armor for some reason, so he probably won't wear it. The stone axe head might help Ka'lion as well if we can fit a shaft to it. I'm interested in the wooden sword. The scarab broach is something that any of us could wear."
OOC: I get the feeling that there are supposed to be two items for each character here... Maybe if the armor is particularly unencumbering Ka'lion would actually wear it...
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Post by sageaqua on Jun 18, 2013 14:15:37 GMT -5
"I hate armor. It's cowardly! And it screws up my abilities to run and after rage I can barely stand up in it! So I wont wear armor. I'm also in training as a monk and monks do not wear armor! Every time I wear armor I can't run! And the ability to run is what keeps me alive! As far as the gear - I like the stone ax and I like the hammer and I like the sword. I can use any of them! And just to be very clear a barbarian cannot wear plate armor without it slowing them down to crippling levels - such as Aelos enjoys so much! Hide and leathers or bone or wood or chain mail does not screw a barbarian over as much. And among barbarians you wont be bullied to get armor you are not wearing!
Of course any of us can use any of these tools and would if we had to. As a barbarian my training did not include breast plate. My teacher could not afford such ridiculous things! Aelos training did. So he gets the breast plate if he wants it. When I put on plate - I can barely stand up with the rest of my gear! And I'd rather have enough rope then armor - any day of the week! Especially related to issues of climbing!
Of course Vadania you could wear the armor. I'll wear your leathers and we'd all look ridiculous. But if you like armor so much - go right ahead and wear it.
I like the stone ax! ( by the way what type of ax head is it? battle ax, throwing ax?) I also like the scarab. It suits me as a druid and as a barbarian. I think the ax and hammer are intended for me. The armor and sun symbol is for Aelos and the wood sword and scarab works best for Vadania. Or Ales can take the armor, hammer and I'll take the sun symbol and the ax and Vadania can take the scarab and wood sword.
Guy's when I think of barbarians they are either wild men with no armor, leather or dressed in hide or in bones. with leather or wood shields. I can't of a single historical barbarian that wore plate so stop trying to turn him into a hulking Viking please! He does not have the strength for it! Ka'lion would be comfortable with a large wooden shield or leathers but the weight limits in real world and game make those options impossible.
In all honesty he is sincerely wanting training as a monk he's had enough to qualify but as long as he draws on rage to fight his battles he can't become one. That's all part of this characters concept. He likes to try things. Some will work and others will not. He tried breast plate armor in the farming village - he couldn't run and when his rage ended he couldn't even stand up! The mask was fun and neat at first until he couldn't take it off and because he couldn't he felt ridiculous! Those are the facts! Now if you want him to be happy with magic items I would suggest gloves of dexterity, belt of giant strength, a headband, a monks belt of intelligence or better yet something to improve his wisdom such as a wear bear bite - with would give him a LG alignment so he can become a monk, he'd no longer be able to rage, he'd have +16 str, +4 dex and +8 con. And suddenly you'd have your idea of a barbarian.
I don't mind this character being hit. If he is hit - he has the hit points to take it for while so others in the party are not hit. He was designed to be hit. Ka'lion was created to force him to need others as a team player. He gets hurt he needs healing and the cure minor wounds cantrip allows him to help the parties clerics and druids if they are taken out.
Joe you know I don't build team characters - I build personalities to try ideas out that are not standard to answer a very personal question. If this was true, how could you learn to do to cope with it? It's all part of living with the hand your dealt and working with the resources you have to be the best you you can be - given the opertunity.
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Post by at on Jun 18, 2013 18:05:52 GMT -5
OOC: I get the feeling that there are supposed to be two items for each character here... The axe head is for a hand axe. You recognise some of the distinctive shapes of the weapons from the book - items carried by those who defeated the demon, though Aelos can see that their magic is faded, or perhaps sleeping. |
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Post by harknail on Jun 18, 2013 18:07:43 GMT -5
Can Vadania, or anyone else, determine any of the properties for any of these items?
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Post by at on Jun 18, 2013 18:28:59 GMT -5
Can Vadania, or anyone else, determine any of the properties for any of these items? (not the specific properties without research or magic). The group pass the items around, examining them for clues of their function. As Aelos takes hold of the silver talisman it shifts in shape to resemble the symbol of his god, and then back again when it leaves his possession. The hammer bears the same symbol as the talisman, and more than a passing similarity to Pelor. The head of the hammer is encrusted with runes of divine magic while the shaft is engraved end to end in a complex warding pattern. As the hammer is held close to the scarab brooch the runes begin to glow with a soft golden light - though the scarab brooch does not react. Ka'lion identifies the runes on the scarab as arcane in origin but is unaware of their meaning. The ax head is engraved with primative representations of many animals, one edge napped down to a razor edge and the other shaped into a crude hand grip. Holding it for more than a moment imparts a peculiar, primal feeling of power. The wooden sword, other than being of incredible craftsmanship, has no identifying marks - though it remains sharp and gleaming as if new. Finally the breastplate is of a curious design, human in shape but not of any craftsmanship you are familiar. Symmetric patterns are engraved across its flawless surface. |
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Post by sageaqua on Jun 18, 2013 19:21:59 GMT -5
"Why don't we do this? Aelos takes the talisman and breast plate, I'll wear the scarab, use the hammer and use the stone Axe and Vadania takes the wood sword. When we get to somewhere that we can trade them for items we want or need or better yet find someone to custom make items for us we trade them for them? Vadania has two magic items the wolf shape shifting mask and the sword, Aleo's gets the, talisman and plate and I have the Axe, hammer and the arcane scarab. How does that sound to you guys?" asks Ka'lion
Joe and I talked about this as the best option on the phone.
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Post by at on Jun 19, 2013 5:35:19 GMT -5
(Until the group learn more about the items they are treated as +1 magical items, with the scarab and talisman offering a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws - they are actually legacy relics and their ultimate power is determined by player action, level, and sacrifice)
Having distributed the objects the group consider their next move. Distant echoes suggest more life, or a sort, further beneath clearwater while on the surface other dangers await.
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