Crypts of Chaos

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:10 am

"Judging by the acid marks and the scratches to these stones, this place has been here a long time, and we are not its first visitors. Any mechanisms in this place must be designed to return to a hidden state, otherwise they would have long since been activated. Why have these traps not reset? Perhaps they were triggered only recently, or perhaps they are broken, I suppose. Olaf, can you tell?"

Kai ties one end of the rope around his waist and holds out the length to the others.

"I don't trust this place. If you lower me into the pit I can see where this tunnel leads. Perhaps it will be safer than our current options. I'll shout if I find anything. If I tug twice, pull me up quickly."

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:22 am

[[Olaf makes his Spot check]]
Glancing back into the central chamber, you notice something not right with the open shaft in the ceiling - it takes a moment to discern what it is, but then if become clear that one of the "floating" coins you saw is slowly moving downwards. Following this movement, you notice a line, an edge a few inches below the lip of the shaft, and it becomes apparent to you that a transparent block of some kind, fifteen feet square, is slowly descending down the shaft toward the center of the room. The coins are embedded in it...

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:00 pm

[ooc]Okay, can I say that I'm more or less constantly making knowledge:history and knowledge:architecture checks to notice anything worth noticing? I guess you can assume that I'm consistently taking ten on them.[/ooc]

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:23 pm

The architecture in the eastern passage is an advanced style you aren't familar with - reminiscent of certain Underdark races who had perfected the mastery of cement, but faced with incredibly precise, smooth, regular slabs of stone that fit together perfectly. You know of no modern tool that could do such work, unless it was accomplished by some arcane art or science unknown to you.

[[I'll add more if you come across anything new, but that's the limit of what you get for taking 10.]]

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:33 pm

"Sure, we can watch your backs," Cadwyn says, indicating himself and Terrwyn, then nodding to Dreiden, "with the lady here." He barks another order at the dog, and it trots up to stand by his side, alert and watchful for danger.

With a final nod to the dwarf, and the other dead, Cadwyn follows the others down the east corridor. He's a young man, perhaps twenty, but the hard set of his features belies his age. His clothes are simple stuff, heavy wool and leather. It must be cold in the high pastures this time of year, because he's bundled up in a shirt, a vest, and a cloak, plus gloves and a knitted wool cap. His boots are caked with what is hopefully mud. The dog, Terrwyn, is huge, two and a half feet tall at the shoulder, and massive, weighing probably over two hundred pounds.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:21 pm

A glance back into the room full of bodies, and Olaf's eyes widen. He abandons his search of the pit and steps away, Kai's rope still tied to him.

"Ooze! Monster from overhead. Get clear of room center!"

Olaf pulls several flasks of lantern oil from his pack and douses the bodies in the center of the room once the others are clear. He lights a torch and prepares to set the bodies ablaze to injure the gelatinous monster before it can feed.

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:50 pm

Cadwyn readies his spear, guarding the entrance to the east corridor and whoever is behind him.

"What's an ooze? Can it follow us across the pit?"

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:13 pm

"Ooze? What's that?" Aracanis asks as he turns back towards the room, blaster held out to fire, looking hard for whatever is going to attack. "How hard do they go down?"

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:35 am

Eh? What's going on now? Oh, shit! Where the hell is it?

[ooc]I cast detect magic, and subsequently ready an action to shoot it with my crossbow if I can see it.[/ooc]

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:06 am

Kai draws his sword and readies his shield, looking up at the ceiling of the room and corridor. "I don't see anything. Where is it? The rest of you get behind me in case it attacks."

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:38 pm

[[Kai and Aracanis make their spot checks]]

The transparent cube continues its slow descent down the shaft, so now a foot of it is visible descending from the ceiling, a dozen or more coins embedded in its substance.

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:19 pm

Kai draws one of his throwing darts and hurls it into the thing to see if it has any effect.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:37 pm

You miss; the dart skitters on the stone into the darkness of the western corridor.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:47 pm

Olaf continues to splash oil over the bodies at the ooze's landing point. He stops after the 3rd flask and prepares his torch.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:20 pm

Archibald shouts "A-HA! The levers are fizzing, it must be them! I'll get you yet, you student-stealing whoremonger!"

He subsequently drops his crossbow and hobbles as fast toward the levers on the south side, spitting on his palms as he does so.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:16 pm

{Nice.}

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:45 pm

"Huh."
Aracanis fires off a blast at the descending ooze.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:30 am

"Uh-oh. I can't really do much to it until it gets in close. So what's the verdict? Should we run and hope it burns itself out, or try to... squash it?"

Dreiden hefts her hammer, but isn't too sure about how to deal with blobs of ooze, especially ones that are hard to see.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 8:26 am

"Well, anyone who's got a ranged weapon, I say shoot it." Aracanis will shoot it again to emphasize his point. "Those with melee, get over the pit, unless you really want to try to smash it. I somehow doubt stabbin' it's gonna do much good."

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:17 am

Kai's eyes widen as the old mage runs under the massive ooze.

"Master Archibald, what are you doing? Get out from there, you'll be killed!"

He turns to Aracanis. "Demon-Golem, unless you can fly us over we have no way to cross the pit! I cannot jump it in my armour, and balancing over that small ledge would be difficult even without being chased by a transparent horror! It appears we have no choice but to stand our ground. However, it appears that the thing is larger than these corridors. Unless it can squeeze itself in, we may be safe here. Perhaps its purpose is only to clean the main room of the... remains of the previous visitors?"

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:32 am

"Pit Slaggit! Cross a ledge, brace yourself with the pole against the corner of the other ledge and the wall! It'll be slow, but it'll get you across! I sure as frag wish I could fly, but that ain't coming for a long slagging time!" He shoots again. (Kinda assuming that this is happening over several turns.)

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:16 am

DAMMIT, MAN, IT'S THE LEVERS, IT HAS TO BE, SO GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME OR I'LL NEVER WRITE YOU A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, SO HELP ME GOD!

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:24 pm

"Oh, you misunderstand me, I have no intention of stabbing it. It's just that if it's all flesh and no bone?"

Dreden then seemingly bursts into flames.

"That's my forte."

With a silent prayer, she's going to charge the ooze once it's close enough.

(Swift: activate Fire Devotion. Charge will be +6 to hit as a reach weapon, for 2d4+4 Bludgeoning and 1 Fire, and it will need to make a DC 11 Ref Save or catch fire for 1d4/round)

Whatever · Post by **Whatever** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:47 pm

Cadwyn takes an involuntary step back when the woman next to him bursts into flames. Unsettled, he scans the room again, trying to find any sign of this mysterious 'ooze'.

If he spots it, he'll order Terrwyn to jump across the pit, assuming that there's room for the dog to get a running start.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 6:29 pm

[Recap of where everyone and everything is]
Archibald is at the south wall, next to the two iron levels.

Aracanis is standing in the eastern hallway; the blasts from his hands hits the cube, causing it to ripple and turn muddy brown where hit, hot gelatinous goo dripping onto the floor below.

Dreiden stands in the eastern hallway, on fire, hammer at the ready.

Kai is in the eastern hallway, trying to talk some sense into people.

Cadwyn and his faithful hound are at the entrance to the eastern hallway.

Olaf is at the entrance to the eastern hallway, having laid down the last of the oil.

At this point, three feet of clear, translucent cube have descended from the shaft, with no sign of stopping. It will be within range of melee weapons in about 2 turns. A large puddle of oil and the corpse of the dwarf are immediately beneath it.