The following is intended for the play-by-post delve of SND-02: Fane of the Heresiarch.
Vitals + Rumors + Crusaders + Score + Watchtower + Bleak Seminary + Confessional + Black Cathedral + Ashen Ambulatory + Pleasure Crypts + Catacomb Reliquary + Death Wyverns' Crucible + Prison of Frozen Gods + Observatory + Gauntlet of Walls + Blighted Grove + Chaos Maze + Mothers' Cloister
Monstrous black icicles drip from the low ceiling of this frozen prison, giving the room a cave-like appearance.
Eight crackling obelisks of charcoal-colored ice stand in a circle. A humanoid creature rests entombed in each.
A stone plaque on the north wall bears three carriage wheel sized shapes: a triangle, a circle, and a square. Some sort of runes have been etched into the plaque above the figures..jpg)
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(1) Kishar, Goddess of Slaughter and Retribution: A blackhaired woman in bloodstained plate mail.
(2) Naia, Mother of Pestilence: A pale woman wearing coarse burlap and clutching an empty wooden bowl.
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(3) Asar-Segt, Hand of Ritual Sacrifice: A six-armed ghoul bathed in flame.
(4) Teurama, Handmaiden of Fate: A woman in black funeral garb wrapped in silver thread.
(5) Kotaresh, God of Trickery and Secrets: A vaguely-humanoid shadow wearing an upside-down mask.
(6) Euryale, The Maelstrom Queen: This creature appears much as a snake-haired, shark-fanged woman.
(7) Marduk, Slayer of Tiamat: A nude, muscular man wearing a five-pointed scaled crown.
(8) Lyth, Mother of Beasts: A nude, winged woman caked in emerald slime and covered in crimson tattoos.
A hidden passageway is discovered wherein float the Wings of Wrath. They are claimed by Oros.
Kaddim boldly pressed the circle button to open yet another secret alcove, filled with treasures, including the Heart of Khaldun.
Nettle uses the first of the two salt spheres to free Kishar, earning the Boon of Slaughter for all (+2 to attack rolls).
A hidden passageway is discovered wherein float the Wings of Wrath. They are claimed by Oros.
Kaddim boldly pressed the circle button to open yet another secret alcove, filled with treasures, including the Heart of Khaldun.
Nettle uses the first of the two salt spheres to free Kishar, earning the Boon of Slaughter for all (+2 to attack rolls).
Nettle will float into the room and attempt to translate the runes above the figures.
ReplyDeleteHistory +13
[NETTLE]
DeleteThere are six letters in Abyssal engraved in the plaque above the shapes. Thine keen intellect transliterates the engravings to these six Common letters:
C N O I Z E
Furthermore, as thou wades thine way through the icy cavern, thou finds a small sheepskin pouch hidden in a small niche in the wall. The oiled bag contains two fist-sized spheres of salt.
Dost thou lick it?
[TECH] Passive Perception 19, History (10)+13
Map updated.
Though tempted by the salt, Nettle will close and pocket the bag. He will then search his memory for descriptions matching the figures frozen in ice.
DeleteTech:
Religion +13
[NETTLE]
DeleteThou recognizes the assembled figures as gods and avatars of divinity.
1 - Kishar, Goddess of Slaughter and Retribution
2 - Naia, Mother of Pestilence
3 - Asar-Segt, Hand of Ritual Sacrifice
4 - Teurama, Handmaiden of Fate
5 - Kotaresh, God of Trickery and Secrets
6 - Euryale, The Maelstrom Queen
7 - Marduk, Slayer of Tiamat
8 - Lyth, Mother of Beasts
[TECH] Religion (5)+13
Main post updated with same info.
OOC: Do I have a sense of their alignments?
DeleteOOC: Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!
DeleteOOC: I meant according to my religion check, rather than a cursory glance if that helps clarify things.
DeleteMikhail meanders through the rows of entombed humanoids, looking closely for anyone he may recognize, or anything on the ice that might signify a form of release. "Are ye icicles alive yet? He also takes note of their facial expressions, do they seem to have been frozen willingly, or in fright against their will?
ReplyDeletePerception +5 for clues/hints/signs/creature types (History +3/nature+5 when necessary)
Insight +5 for facial expressions, willingly frozen or not.
[MIKHAIL]
DeleteThe ice coating this chamber is not water, but rather frozen marilith tears. The obelisks are of similar composition.
[TECH] Nature (18)+5
Nettle will examine the salt to see if it is ordinary salt or something else.
ReplyDeleteNature +11
Dungeoneering +12
[NETTLE}
DeleteThe salt is definitely weird magic salt of unknown origin or properties.
[TECH]Nature (15)+11
Remembering the rumor about a key being hidden in the Prison of the Frozen Gods Oros thoroughly searches the room for any hiding places or secret compartments or doors.
ReplyDeleteTech:
Perception +11
Dungeoneering +11
Thievery +15
[OROS]
DeleteScanning about, Oros finds naught but his own reflection in the jagged ice. Oros isn't one to dally and waste time, however, and takes a more hands-on approach. Feeling about, he finds a sheet of ice, approximately 3 ft. square, that forms only a thin barrier. The ice is summarily shattered, sending fragile shards to be crushed underfoot.
A passageway has been revealed, leading to a claustrophobic ice cavern (not shown on map) in which the WINGS OF WRATH float. They are immediately bonded to Oros. (See new image above.)
In addition, the alcove contains a slightly raised floor tile inlaid with mosaic tiles that form an inverted trident. The tile casts off violet sparks.
[TECH] Thievery (11)+15
OOC: Also, score updated. Kory Kirk, high five!
DeleteOOC: Sweet!
DeleteAfter talking it over with his allies, Brand will step up to inspect the shapes attempting to discern any magical auras, or minute details (as well as can they be moved picked up?)
ReplyDeletebah, skills...
DeleteArcana +13, Perception +5, Thievery(?) +3...
[BRAND]
DeleteThree large stone shapes – a triangle, a circle, and a square – are set into the plaque, each protruding a finger’s width from the wall. Thou can easily see that they can be pushed inward like buttons.
[TECH] Insight, of all things, (17)+5
Xann will examine the floor tile in the secret cavern and attempt to discern whether there is any magic at work.
ReplyDeleteArcana +12
[XANN]
DeleteThou feels the reverberating waves in the air indicative of a teleportation spell.
[TECH] Arcana (16)+12
Kaddim is taken aback by the works of this cave, and is distracted as nettle starts listing off the names on the imprisoned. He sees Oros move off to the side and out of sight, but when he reappears, Kaddim sneers at his newly found wings. "fuck....could have used those against the nimbus". His mind then turns to how to seperate the wings from oros' body, if the need arises. With that, he approaches the three symbols, sees the runes, and chuckles, and presses the circle inward.
ReplyDeleteOOC: The Mage with 30 hp will not be denied. I apologize now if this released ALL the gods, whom promptly slay us.
[KADDIM]
DeleteThe plaque slides upward into the ceiling, revealing an icy alcove filled with seven magic items (see above). In addition, the HEART OF KHALDUN rests atop an icy mithril dais in the center of the alcove.
OOC: Score updated, PARISHIONERS!!!
OOC: I can't believe you guys got that one. I remember reading the puzzle solution way back during playtesting and thinking, "Pff! This is backwards moon logic! No one would EVER figure this out."
ReplyDeleteShows what I know!
OOC: The shapes almost threw us off bad with their possible connection. I don't know that we would have gotten this with out Big Deuce in the group :p
DeleteOOC: Sorry to butt in here, but I had the same reaction as Ross when I first read that puzzle. 2 of the groups I ran for never figured it out, one group solved it in less than a minute. Ridiculous.
DeleteNettle will fly up and retrieve the items for his companions, taking the ring, the scroll and the heart for himself.
ReplyDeleteAfter the group has taken their respective items, he will cast Words of Friendship before drawing out a ball of salt and touching it to the frozen tears surrounding the figure of Kashir.
OOC: Mikhail will be standing next in a square adjacent to Kashir as this occurs.
Delete[NETTLE]
DeleteThe ball of salt impacts on the icy pillar, grains of salinity scattering across its surface. Within a few short moment, the frozen column melts to set free KISHAR, Goddess of Slaughter and Retribution. When still partly frozen, she flexes her arms and sends icicles scattering across the room, bursting free of her prison. In a rolling accent and deep voice, she speaks to Nettle, dark eyes locked;
"Many thanks to you, little warrior. Though I know you have spurned my teachings and taken a path through life undeserving and dishonorable, it will not be said that Kishar does not pay her debts. Thy allies and thee will heretofor have my blessing."
With that, a silver tattoo is scorched onto the flesh of all dungeoneers present and Kishar disappears, ascending through the ceiling to rejoin the congregation of gods in the heavens above.
[TECH] All current dungeoneers receive a permanent +2 bonus to all attack rolls.
Untyped bonus.
Un-fucking-typed.
Emboldened, Nettle will draw out the other ball of salt and place it against the frozen column around Marduk, slayer of Tiamat.
ReplyDelete[NETTLE]
DeleteThe salt sphere smashes on the icy pillar, releasing MARDUK, Slayer of Tiamat. The hardened ice cracks and breaks away to reveal this ultimate expression of physical prowess. A guttural roar heralds his release and the muscle-bound squats down before propelling himself high up into the heavens. As he leaps to the astral dominions, flecks of god-sweat splatter those nearby.
[TECH] All dungeoneers receive a +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity based skill and ability checks for the next 24 hours (in-game time).
Feeling the power of the gods wash over him and infuse his being, Lord Xann smiles wickedly.
ReplyDelete"I have been rightly blessed. Come, men; we mustn't keep this Heresiarch waiting."
Xann steps unto the mosaic in the secret cavern.
Nettle will follow him to confirm his suspicions about the portal's destination.
DeleteOOC: The default assumption from now on is that everyone goes through teleportations together as best they can.
ReplyDeleteOne by one in flashes of lavender, each dungeoneer steps onto the obsidian tiled platform to be whisked away to the OBSERVATORY.
http://dmg42.blogspot.com/2012/09/snd-02-observatory.html
Following their discovery of the sixth planet slot in the watchtower, Kaddim and co return to the Prison of Frozen gods and enter the portal here once again, expecting reentry into the observatory....
ReplyDeleteOOC: Unless the portal was one use, of course.