LCTN: Exploring the Sanctuary

THIS IS SCENE #3 IN A PLAY-BY-POST D&D GAME

Many elements of it are unique and innovative, with several key twists that will catch the players by surprise. The adventure is deadly and devious, with victory going only to those clever enough to take it. Though it may not be a traditional Fourthcore deathtrap dungeon, I assure you, dear reader, that it holds many of the ideals of Fourthcore close to its heart.

I will keep these posts easily collapsible, so that readers may easily skip past them if they wish. Although, really, you'd be missing out.

Welcome back, dungeoneer!


You are now in a situation that does not require fine tracking of time spent. Thus, everyone can post as you like with little restriction. I've removed the dungeoneer icons from the map to help foster an atmosphere of willy nilly exploration.


The Sanctuary of the Sacred Stone lies quiet, the sounds of the fireplace and your own breathing echoing across the stone walls. Blood and gore from the slain monks lies on the floor.

The Dwarves have been defeated, and with it there is no immediate or obvious threat. Dungeoneers may now take a short rest, regaining and using whatever encounter powers they have, such as Second Wind, at their leisure. For regaining hit points and spending healing surges, I will move things along by automatically spending healing surges to get everyone at least to within their surge value of maximum, then I'll let you chime in if you want to top off your hit points.


There are some characters in the group that can routinely grant extra hit points for healing surges spent. Please either post here or contact me directly if you wish  to have your character provide bonus hit points, letting me know whom you wish to include and exclude for your benefits.

Please, do be considerate about your rate of posting. If you have a lot you want to do, please be polite and post no more than one or two actions per day, allowing others with more limited internet access a chance to jump in and do something meaningful.


Likewise, if you are stumped or otherwise have nothing interesting to add at the moment, don't be afraid to make a simple comment saying so. I'd much rather hear from you saying that you're character is watching from a distance, than to hear nothing and worry that you're bored with the game.


Lastly, please do not restrict yourself via discussions. Talking in-character (via Comments and language emails) and hashing things out is a big part of this adventure. It's as roleplay heavy as I ever really get; enjoy it!


Features of the Room

• The altar itself is about waist height and draped in a long, blue cloth. The material is hard granite.
• There are two granite statues flanking the altar, carved in the likeness of bearded Dwarven lords.
• There are, as obvious from the map, two sets of doors on the north end of the room.
• The set of double doors is crafted from steel or iron. They have a small loop of metal protruding from each door acting as a handle. The craftwork is definitively Dwarven in style, as each door is edged with a decorative, geometric motif. These doors are completely absent of any signs of wear or damage.
• The single door is wooden, similar to the door used to enter the sanctuary from outdoors. It has brass hinges and is set on a 2-way swing. The hardware on the door is grimy and worn. There are numerous skids and scrapes along its surface, especially towards the bottom edge.
• There is also a rug on the floor, wooden pews, and braziers set into the walls.

Upon Closer Examination

• The silver disk and hammer are both imbued with a Conjuration spell, activated by ringing the disk with the hammer three times. The spell summons some sort of "guardian spirit".
• The hammer's handle is decorated with a design resembling scales, and its head has Draconic script written upon it.
• The red and orange carpeting at the foot of the altar is made of course wool, dyed with common materials found in he area. The blue cloth draping the altar, however, is a fine silk made with exotic dyes and decorated with a thin gold trim.
• Beneath the blue cloth is a set of sigils engraved in the altar.
• Moving past the electrified steel doors, stone stairs spiral down into the darkness of the heart of the mountain. There, you have found a stylized, round brass shield set into the ground at the bottom of the stairs. The metal disk has a thick handle in its center; as well as eight small, round knobs around its circumference.