Round 2 and worry
Subject Round 2
Round 2
Initiative: Allistair (15), Mund (11), Salix (11), Kal (8), Griff (6), Giant (3).
Allistair watches with stunned amazement as the giant kills all three of the hippogriff's in as many swings of his club. He looks back at Harp. "Magic missile or run?" Harp judges the distance and hopes he does not make a mistake. "One more round, the both of you and then start retreating. Ran, Mund and I will cover your retreat. Get ready to hit it again if we have to back up." Allistair nods and turns back. Chanting again, another three bolts of energy leap from his finger tips and strike the giant in the chest this time (Damage 12). Allistair then starts back pedaling towards the other corner of the room. Mund readies himself at the doorway, ready to spring in and close the door if the giant charges. S
Salix, who can no longer see the giant but could hear the death screams of the hippogriffs, calls on Obad Hai for aid again. He sees another hippogriff appear across the doorway from him, and the druid screeches out a command for the griff to attack the giant.
Kal hears Harp's order and chants his spell again. Three more bolts of energy fly from his rapier's tip and strike the giant in almost the exact same place as Allistair's (Damage 9). The elf then starts his retreat, not turning his back on the door.
The hippogriff does a sort of strange hop/bounce towards the giant, the room limiting its ability to fly. As it closes, the giant swings (AOO, leaving a threatened square, AC15, 17+11=28,hit, damage 21) and his club again smashes the winged beast from the air, crushing it to the ground. The giant stops and looks up, finally seeing the party members at the door.
Mund is a bit surprised when he sees the giant drop his club. Whispering to those behind him "He just dropped his club and is fumbling at a sack at his waist? What's he doing?" It takes Salix a second to remember. "CLOSE THE DOOR" he shouts and Mund reacts almost with out thinking. With a speed born of a life in the high hills, Mund is at the door handle and has the door closed in an instant. A second later the whole door area explodes with a shattering blast. Harp and Mund and Salix are almost knocked off their feet from the concussion. Mund and Harp look at Salix. The druid says "Rocks. They like to throw rocks."
OODM: Ok now what?
From: Porter
Subject Worry
For a second there, I was afraid that he was fumbling around for spell components. I was scared.
From: Ashley
Subject Worry
Is the door still there?!?!?!? Mark wrote that it exploded.
The door
Subject The door
The door is still there. There was just a huge concussive explosion, like a large rock hitting the other side of the door and blasting itself into thousands of little shards. I was trying to show what the three or so at the door just missed having hit them.
What to do?
Subject Turn
Anyone?
From: Derek
Subject What next
After the booming subsides and it looks like they won't be immediately dying, Allistair quietly asks Harp if they should go back through the first door and close it behind them before they wait for a few hours.
From: Porter
Subject What next
Mund motions everyone to be quiet, and tries to see what he can hear through the door.
From: Mark
Subject What next
Mund motions for the others to be quiet and to move back a bit from the door. He starts to move closer to the door to see what he can hear, when a loud crashing sound comes from the door. The barbarian jumps back a bit. The sound is repeated again and again, with a regular pattern that he recognizes from when he looked through the door the first time. "The giant it trying to knock the door down."
From: Porter
Subject What next
Mund puts out his arms in a mother-hen fashion and says "Let's get y'all out of here. Fast."
From: Ashley
Subject What next
"Don't need to tell me twice. I suggest we put as many doors as possible between us and him. Starting now."
From: Karl
Subject what next
Salix will go with the others, quickly.
From: Randy
Subject What next
Seeing the others start to move out, Ranthir begins to go with them, positioning himself near Harp. Speaking somewhat quietly he says "Harp, we cannot afford to take too much time in this place. We were warned that the gate is only in the same place for a limited amount of time. Nobody indicated where else it might be when we get out of here. Are we really all in such bad shape that we can't pursue the completion of this task? Perhaps we can set up some sort of ambush. I am starting to become concerned at the amount of time we are spending here. It would be different if we didn't have to wait 24 hours for our magic to be restored, but that adds up really quickly."
Ranthir will listen to Harps response and will go along with whatever his leader on this mission decides. At least for now.
From: Kevin
Subject What next
"I agree, but I really don't want to meet that thing head on.
Allistair and Kal, get back by the other door and wait there, ready to cast some more mage arrows. Ran, you and Mund will stay closer to the door to see if that thing can actually break the door or not. This place is a construct, so it may NOT be able to bust if down. Let's give it 1/2 hour or so to see what happens. Salix, I want you back with Allistair and Kal ready to close that door if we come running. Ragnar, you and I will stay in the middle of the room, ready to cover Ran and Mund if they have to retreat. If it cannot break down the door in the next 1/2 hour, then we can work on what we do next."
Turn, Sprots and Finish it?
Subject Turn
Sorry I have not gotten anything out. Two people are out of the office this week and I am swamped there. At home my son finally got the main home computer and his computer networked and all he has wanted to do is play Nevewinter Nights over the net work.
I will get something out tonight.
From: Kevin
Subject Turn
Work, your back, sprots, band, its is alway something. We know where we rank in your world.
From: Karl
Subject Sprots
sprots?
Oh, nevermind. Spellcheck told me what you meant.
From: Derek
Subject Sprots
Spellcheck usually doesn't succeed in telling me what I meant, let alone what others meant...
From: Kevin
Subject Sprots
You mean you dont have sprots where you are from? I find that hard to believe. Sproting is a time honored tradition here. You have bean sprots, kids (and shopping centers) sprot up overnight, you sprot your friend and the grocery store, you go to local sproting events .
From: Mark
SubjectFinish it?
As the banging starts on the door, Mund turns and hustles the others out of the first door and into the hallway. "That thing in there is tryn to bash the door in and I don't see no how it can stand up to that type of beatn." From the safety of the hallway Surin and Mund watch as the others take stock of the situation. "We should finish the thing now" Ranthir proposes. "It is heavily wounded and we have the advantage of position and knowing it is coming. If all four of us: Mund, Harp me and Ragnar stand and defend, while Kal, Salix and Allistair use magic on it and Surin looks for a way to get in under it's guard, I say we can finish it. However, I will bow to Harp's will if he wishes to wait. This task as been assigned to him."
Mund gives his opinion. "Did you see that thing? It took out 4 of those hippagriff thingies of Salix's in as many swings. Thems was fierce beasts and they did not slow that giant down a bit. Maybe we could take it, but then maybe not. You willin to risk Surin life on it?"
Harp thinks for a while, the whole time the pounding of the giant on the other door a staccato rhythm in the distance. "OK here is my decision. We wait here for 15 minutes. Kal and Allistair on alert. If either of you see the door start to go, launch those mage arrows and get down this hall. If the thing has not broken through in 15 minutes I would guess it will not be able to. Then we wait until it stops and do what we just did again. Sound like a plan?"
OODM: I need to know if every one agrees with this. Or you can role play your objections
From: Karl
Subject Finish it
Salix nods his assent.
From: Porter
Subject Finish it
"I agree. 'Taint no use trying to fight this giant fair-like. As long as we can do damage to it without getting the huge club or one of those boulders upside the head, I say let's do it."
Giants, waiting, giants redux
Subject What next
Harp is surprised to hear Mund agree. " We really have all day to beat this thing. As Mund said earlier, wh shouldn't waste any spells we have that may do some damage to this thing while we still have them available to us today. We will wait here by the door, keeping an eye and ear out for the next 15-30 minutes. Salix, is there anything else you can tell us about these giants that might help up to beat it? Other than it likes to throw rocks?"
From: Karl
Subject Know how
Hmmm, guess it's time to request a knowledge check. Oh mighty DM! What does Salix know?
From: Mark
Subject Know how
Knowledge check 9+11=20.
He does not know much more than he has aleady said. They are fairly simple creatures, stupid and strong. They like to throw rocks, but he probably has a limited supply. He would be out of his usual comfort zone.
From: Karl
Subject Giants
OK, then . . . in character:
"I don't know much, just that in the hills or forest most druids try to avoid them. They're fairly stupid, but very strong, so most encounters with them end badly for either the giant or the druid. If I came upon one in the wild, I'd try to sneak past without a confrontation, or just get away, if the thing attacked. Here, of course that doesn't seem like an option."
After a minute he adds quietly, "I don't like this place or its 'tests'. It seems the most likely to pass are the ones most ruthless and bloodthirsty. I don't like this wanton killing of creatures brought here only for slaughter. Can that giant help it if it's suddenly in a threatening situation without the mental capacity to avoid a fight? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die, and it's probably him or us. I just don't understand the virtue of this whole exercise, if there is any at all."
From: Jason
Subject What next
"I agree with Harp and Mund, that we should not attempt to close with it today, if at all."
From: Kevin
Subject Waiting
"Salix, I am beginning to understand your dislike for this place. At first, I was just trying to accept it, but it is almost too much now. Its like some big bully trying to push our nose in how strong he is. We have done more in the past few days than most groups do in months. I am getting tired of this.
Oh well, back to the matter at hand. While we wait, Surin, you and Ragnar take a look at our escape route a little closer and see if we can set up anything to slow this thing down if it gets through. Mund and Ran, you stay with Allistair and Kal in case you see that door start to give way. "
OOC: This is basically busy work while we wait for the giant to grow bored with beating on the door.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
Kal speaks up:
"Trust the Gods, Harp. You're a man of the faith, don't let these tests shake that. We were sent here by a righteous being. Trust in his plan. I'm certain that every creature we are killing here he wants dead for other crimes they've commited."
From: Porter
Subject Waiting
"Well, we were certainly sent here by a powerful being."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
Salix wonders what "crimes" the beetles and scorpions might have committed, but says nothing.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"We were sent on a mission by the church to go to this exact place. At this moment we simply have no reason to doubt that we're on a mission of good.
If we were slaughtering women and children I would certainly see your argument, but as it stands we've mostly been killing creatures who have a reputation for being evil. Dragons, Giants and Undead are rarely innocent beasts. I've learned that we shouldn't go around assuming all creatures of this type are evil, but if a God of good sent them here to die, that's enough for me.
But I wouldn't expect you to understand that, Mund."
Kal looks to Harp, expecting him to agree.
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
At this Salix merely rolls his eyes, making no effort to hide it.
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"Speak your mind, Salix. If you doubt the validity of our mission, why have you been helping all along? It would seem to me the largest fool of them all would be the one who believes he is doing wrong and continues to do it."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
"I serve Obad-Hai and trust that he has a purpose for me here. As I have said from the beginning, though, if this test requires me to break my vows to appease the creators of this place, we will fail.
"What I don't believe in is your arrogance. You speak of 'crimes' as if 'theft' or 'murder' had meaning to a hungry beetle. You speak of 'innocent beasts' as if every life wasn't directly dependent on the deaths of other lives. You have condemned everything in this place from before we entered the portal. You seem to live to mete out justice as you see it without even a hint that perhaps you are merely mortal and endowed only with a mortal's knowledge like the rest of us.
"Perhaps it will be shown to us that this *is* little more than an elaborate chopping-block for the condemned of your god, but having been given no explicit instruction to that effect beforehand, I'm confident in the rightness of at least *trying* to preserve life when possible. If we're just here for mindless slaughter and destruction, by the gods, we might as well be Orcs!
Salix looks at Harp and blushes deep crimson. "I - I - . . . forgive me Harp. How quickly I forget the lessons I'm being taught." He looks apologetically toward Mund as well, knowing how he has spoken with respect about that barbarian race.
He turns again to face Kal. "I am no fool, but I take my pledges seriously. In this place I follow Harp as I have been asked and as I have promised. If I *must* choose in the gray areas between what I feel is right and what I know is wrong, I am confident Obad-Hai will hold me first accountable to my word. But a fool would be one who accepts his first guess as law, especially if that first guess gives him license to play executioner."
From: Kevin
Subject Waiting
" I must have faith that there is a larger plan or larger reason behind this place, and I hope and pray that when we have finished this, that that faith will be proven correct, and that I will be shown why this had to be done this way.
It could be that the same power that created this place and is bringing these creatures here is returning them alive to where they came from, or will do so after we leave. The writings on the wall in the main room hint that we are to meet with someone called "the master" when all is said and done. I must have faith that our questions will be answered when we get to that point."
Harp sounds like he is trying to convince himself, as well as the others
From: Porter
Subject Waiting
"You know what, it don't matter. We're all going to try to get out of here. We're going to try to do it without kill them as we don't need to. And we're not going to kill each other, because we need all the strength we can get."
"Surin, I'm going to go listen at the door unless you want to do it."
From: Josh
Subject Waiting
"Perhaps the beetle broke some rule of nature, perhaps not. I don't pretend to understand the workings of the Gods. What you mistake for arrogance is simply a deep rooted faith. We are here for a reason and our Gods have a plan. I am simply a cog in their great machine, and so I will act as a cog does - predictably, unfailingly, and tirelessly.
Until I am given a reason to doubt, I will not. Our mission is too important."
After a moment, Kal speaks again:
"Maybe my faith is a failing of mine, however, I can be no other way. The gods have plans and I am but their humble tool."
From: Karl
Subject Waiting
Inwardly Salix rolls his eyes again. Outwardly he simply shrugs and turns his back to Kal. He will not continue this conversation. Already it has made him say things he regrets.
From: Mark
Subject Giant redux
Harp is surprised to see most of the party agree on his plan. However, Salix's distaste is obvious on his face as he explains what little he knows about hill giants to the party.
"I don't know much, just that in the hills or forest most druids try to avoid them. They're fairly stupid, but very strong, so most encounters with them end badly for either the giant or the druid. If I came upon one in the wild, I'd try to sneak past without a confrontation, or just get away, if the thing attacked. Here, of course that doesn't seem like an option."
After a minute he adds quietly, "I don't like this place or its 'tests'. It seems the most likely to pass are the ones most ruthless and bloodthirsty. I don't like this wanton killing of creatures brought here only for slaughter. Can that giant help it if it's suddenly in a threatening situation without the mental capacity to avoid a fight? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die, and it's probably him or us. I just don't understand the virtue of this whole exercise, if there is any at all."
This comment leads to a long heated discussion about the nature of the place they are in and the purpose of the place. Kal and Salix stand on opposite sides of the issue and the matter is not really solved. Most everyone hopes that they will will out some of the purpose of this place before they leave.
The giant is consistent if nothing else. A steady sound of wooden club against wooden door serenades the group for the next 20 minutes or so. During that time Salix and Allistair bring something to Harp's attention. "You know Harp," Allistair says, " Salix is fairly sure that a normal giant would have smashed a normal door to splinters by now. I see one of two options. One the giant is not as strong as he looks. The problem with that is how quickly he killed those hippogriffs. So I would say that option is off the table. The second option is that these doors are stronger than normal. From what Ragnar said when he detected magic, I would put my money on that. Just thought you might want to know. Might come in handy some day."
When the pounding stops the silence is almost startling. However, the pounding starts up again about a minute later. This time though it seems to becoming from further away. "Must have moved back to what it was beating on the first time." Mund says. He looks at Harp. "Do it all over again?" The 1/2 nods. "OK everyone, pretty much the same way as last time, but this time Allistair and Kal, do the mage arrows only." The two casters nod. "Ranthir and Ragnar, you two take up place in the middle of this room, in case we need to call a retreat. Salix, can you summon one more hippogriff?" The druid nods. "OK you stay at the other door. If the giant comes through that door, have your beast try and slow it down while the rest of us high tail it out. Mund and I will act as rear guard."
Ranthir coughs slightly at this comment and Harp turns to face him. "Did I forget something?" Ran smiles a small smile. "Sometimes your desire to lead makes you forget that a leaders place is not always in the front. If the giant comes through that door, we will have to be moving as fast as possible. That leaves you out. I should be with Mund at the door. You should be with Ragnar." Harp starts to protest, but stops himself. After a few seconds he nods at Ranthir. "You are right. Take your place."
The party moves into position, with Allistair and Kal standing by Mund an Ranthir. With a look at Harp, the barbarian opens the door again, just a few feet. At the other side of the room, in the same place as before, they see the giant. Allistair and Kal both chant the mage arrow spell, the words different but the effects the same. Six bright blue bolts of energy leap from fingers and rapier and fly towards the giant. The giant turns, hearing the chanting over the banging sound and as it does all six of the missiles strike it in the head (Damage 22). The creature howls in pain and crumbles to the floor, blood flowing from the large smoking wound in its large simian looking forehead.
OODM: Now what?
From: Kevin
Subject Giant redux
OOC: Charge!!!!
IC: Harp will wait to here something from the group by the door before he says anything.
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
How damaged does the giant appear?
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
Oh, he collapsed. I missed that.
From: Porter
Subject Giant redux
Mund whispers "That feller may not be terrible smart, but it don't take too many smarts to play possom. I'm going to go in and make sure that he's really dead. Stay shrarp."
From: Derek
Subject Giant redux
Allistair gets ready to launch another magic missle at it in case it is actually playing dead, although he is pretty confident it's dead. It's hard to fake a large smoking wound with blood flowing out of it.
Mund sneaks up
Subject Mund sneaks up
If nobody tries to stop Mund, he'll go in as quietly as he can and will bury his axe into the giant. If it's faking it, it will be really hard to stay quiet during that.
Mund will keep his action readied while moving silently.
From: Kevin
Subject Shrap
OOC: Is stay "shrap" sort of like "sprots"?
From: Mark
Subject Mund sneaks up
So Mund is going to try and Move Silently and when close enough bury his axe in the thing.
I just want to make sure I have it clear.
From: Kevin
Subject Mund sneaks up
Harp watches as Mund says something to Allistair, and then begins to move through the doorway. Had they killed the thing already??
"Allistair, Ran - what's happening?"
From: Randy
Subject Mund sneaks up
Ran backpedals to get a little closer to Harp before saying quietly "The giant went down. Mund is going to make sure he is out." He then returns to his position, watching intently for any sign of life from the creature.
From: Porter
Subject Mund sneaks up
Pretty much. Mund wants to:
Go in and make sure the giant is dead by sticking his axe in it.
If the giant isn't dead, Mund wants to be read to react to it.
If the giant isn't dead, Mund wants to be as quiet as possible so that maybe he gets to bury his axe in it anyway.
From: Mark
Subject Mund sneaks up
Mund makes a hushing gesture to the others and moves into the room, ready to dart back to the open door if the giant makes a move. Moving slowly so as to keep the noise as low as possible, the barbarian tries to imitate Surin's way of moving quietly. The others are a bit surprised when the big barbarian moves and no one hears him (Move Silent check, 18+4=21). His axe in his hand Mund moves towards the creature lying on the ground. As he gets closer he sees the large head wound caused by his brother and Kal. He moves to the head and raises his axe. The blade falls, finishing off the giant. The giants head rolls a bit to the side and stops, it eyes looking emptily up at Mund.
Harp asks Allistair what is going on and the mage fills him in. The 1/2 orc waves the rest of the party up to the door as Kal and Allistair move into the room. "Ok everyone, lets take a look around. Surin, you look over our large friend there, Ran and Kal search the room. You all know what we are looking for." It suddenly dawns on Harp and the others that there is another door in the room, on the east wall up in the north corner. "Surin, belay that last order. Let Mund and Salix look at the giant. You scope out that door and let me know."
The party breaks down in to groups. The members searching the room find nothing other than shards of rock near the door they came in. Surin takes his time looking over the other door, and other than seeing that it looks like it was beaten with a huge club, it is in pretty good shape. Salix and Mund find nothing on the giant other than a large sack. "Giants keep most of their personal belonging in big sacks. However I am not sure if I want to scavenge the dead."
OODM: Ok what do you want to do with the sack.
From: Porter
Subject Mund sneaks up
"Hell, I ain't shy. It's not like he's gonna mind," Mund says as he looks through the sacks.
The giants room
Subject The giants room
Mund reaches for the sack and starts to rumage through it. He is used to the rougher things in life but this almost turns his stomach. Dirty pieces of clothing, a pot, a large flint and steel, pieces of food, something that looks like a human leg, probably female, several copper coins and a silver coin. And a small vial of a green liquid.
From: Kevin
Subject The giants room
Harp watches as Mund searches through the belongings of the giant. All their planning, and it had ended so quickly. Well, at least none of them had been hurt, and he was sure that that thing could have put a huge hurt on them, had he gotten close.
Another door. When were they going to end? It was as if this place had been designed by an runny nose punk kid trying to prove how smart he was. Just have one room, have the challenge in there, and let us get done with it Harp thinks to himself. Well, he had to keep up what image he could for the rest, for what good it would do him.
As the group finishes looking around, Harp will get with _____ (OOC: Mark, whom ever is making the map) and talk about the room layout they may encounter when they open the door.
OOC: Mark, after Allistair or whomever make a knowledge check on the vial, Harp will suggest that they wait for an hour or so, move to the next door and open it quickly to look around, again more as a pre-fight check out. While they have not taken any damage, they are pretty thin on spells. He would like to see what they can in the next room (is is dark, does the basic layout match up with what they expect from the map, etc.).
From: Porter
Subject The giants room
Mund pockets the coins and the bottle as he says "I'll hold onto this until we get a chance to look at it careful-like."
From: Porter
Subject The giants room
Mund sticks his ear against the next door to hear what he can hear.
From: Mark
SubjectThe giants room
Mund places his ear against the new door and listens with all his might. His face straining, the muscles in his neck bulging, sweat running down his face, he listens with all his energy. After a few minutes he turns and triumphantly reports to Harp "Didn't hear a thing. We should go right in."
From: Kevin
Subject The giants room
Harp smiles slightly. "That's good to know, but what ever is on the other side might have heard the giant pounding on the door and maybe trying to keep from being heard. Lets head back to the main room, review the map, eat some lunch, and then we can come back here and see if you and Surin can hear anything then."
Harp really wants to review that map with someone.
From: Ashley
Subject The giants room
If he hasn't done so already, Surin will take a listen at the door.
From: Derek
Subject The giants room
Allistair goes over the map with Harp. "Looking at what we've mapped out so far, we really shouldn't be surprised that there is another door here, since there is still a lot of room to the north. That is assuming that the general layout of this place is rectangular, but from what we've seen so far I'll assume that is so until I learn otherwise. Since we know that there is that long hallway going north on the last door, this door we just came up to after killing the giant will either enter into a small room or perhaps a hallway that leads north into another room. That would be my guess. Also do not forget that we had to go through four doors at one point to get one of the keys, so we shouldn't be surprised to see that again, or even more.
"One bit of good news though, is that when we go for the next key after this one, according to our map it will most likely be a single room. The last key after that though, with the hallway that goes very far north... there could be any number of doors there, and it being the last key I would expect a difficult challenge."
Allistair looks over the map again and thinks back through all the challenges they have encountered so far in this god's personal playground. "I don't pretend to know what Heironius' plan for having us go through this private dimension of his is, and I'm not sure what we are really being tested on, unless it is simply the ability to kill lots of varied and powerful creatures. I won't claim to understand a god's wisdom of right and wrong, but little I've seen so far has encouraged me to embrace it on faith either. Your god has done little to earn my worship, but he has done more than enough to earn my respect. Wizards learn that those who do not respect the greater powers do so at their own peril."
"I will admit some sympathy towards Salix's and Mund's comments, but on the other hand I don't see that any of us have a choice. I don't understand your motivations, but neither do I question them. I think you've done as well as any of us could under the circumstances, and I will continue to follow you."
From: Kevin
Subject The giants room
As Harp reviews the map, he considers Allistairs comments. There seemed to some small areas surrounding the room that they had not explored. Were they just "dead" space, or had they missed a hidden door, like the one that had hidden the ghost like thing they had encountered earlier. Well, no matter yet, they would take a look at this next room, and then plan on how to move forward then.
"Allistair, thanks for your words. I am not much of a cleric of Heironieous - my skills normally go toward the fighting side of a fighting cleric. Seems it is in my blood." Harp says this with a toothy smile so Allistair knows that he is trying to make a joke.
From: Karl
Subject The giants room
Suck up!
Sucking up
Subject Sucking up
OOC: Maybe so... but Allistair's main feeling is that like it or not, the only way out of here is getting the keys which generally means killing everything. He isn't going to get all angsty over something when he isn't given a choice and a god is calling the shots. He doesn't worship any gods, but he doesn't blaspheme them either.
Beyond the giants door
Subject Beyond the giants door
Harp grins at Mund's assurance that the next room is clear. "Mund, I am sure that if there is anything in the room, it is hiding and being quite after hearing the giant pound on it's door so much. I say we go back to the main room, have a quiet lunch, and come back in 1/2 hour. By then whoever, or what ever, might be in the room would have a better chance of moving around so that we could hear it. Let's go eat and maybe Salix or your brother can tell you what is in that vial you found."
Mund looks disappointed for just a second, but his face brightens with the mention of the vial. "Do you think it could make my axe magic?" he asks Allistair as the party works it's way back to the main room. When they get there they have a quiet meal, while Harp and Allistair review the map that the mage has been keeping. When they are done eating Allistair motions to his brother to bring the vial over. The mage inspects the vial. The liquid inside looks to be a medium green, the same basic color as the cure potions they have, but of a more vibrant color. He looks at it but comes up with nothing (Knowledge Arcana, DC20, 1+11=12, failure). "Sorry Mund, I have not really ever gotten into the brewing of potions."
When lunch is done, the party moves back to the manticore room. "Kal," Harp says "you and Surin go to that door. You protect Surin if anything happens. Surin, you go see if you can hear anything. We will be right here. If you need help, yell and we will come running." With that Harp gives the two a clap on the back and pushes them on their way.
The halfling and the elf work their way to the other door in the manticore room. Surin holds up his hand and signal Kal to hang back a few feet. Then the halfling starts strutting his stuff. Kal closes his eyes for a second, trying to pick out where the halfling is just by listening for him, and even this close, it is like Surin has disappeared. Kal reopens his eyes and sees that Surin has already moved 20 feet into the room. The elf starts to follow, moving quietly and slowly behind the halfling. When Surin gets to the door, he turns and signals Kal to stop.
The halfling then places his ear to the door and listens. For a good 5 minutes he stands there, listening for anything on the other side. He then turns and signals Kal to gather the others. Kal moves back to the door and motions the rest of the party to advance. They do so as quietly as possible, and Surin meets them in the middle of the giants room. In a quiet whisper, he reports in.
"I did not hear anything. Doesn't mean nothing is there, it just means that if it is there, it is real quiet like. But my best guess it that the room, or whatever it is, is empty." Harp nods and points to Mund and Ran, then to Kal and himself. He motions to the door and the four move into position. With Ragnar, Salix, Surin and Allistair watching from behind, Ran motions for Mund to open the door. The barbarian does his best to open the door quietly and it swings open to the left.
Ranthir and Mund make a quick peek into the room but see nothing moving. Along the east wall is a small table. On the table is a brass key with a gem in the handle. After a few seconds of expecting something to attack, Harp motions Ran and Mund to slowly enter the room. The two fighters advance and make room for Harp and Kal to enter the room as well. The room is 20 feet east/west and 40 feet north/south, with the door being in the northern most portion of the west wall. The table is twenty feet down the east wall.
Harp moves back to the door and gestures to Surin. When Surin gets to the door Harp points at the table and the key and makes a looking gesture. Surin nods and moves off to inspect the table. He stops 10 feet away and over the next 10 minutes works his way around the table, checking the floor, the wall, the ceiling. When he is done he moves to the table and takes the key off the stand.
OODM: Now what.
Searching
Subject Beyond the Giants room
OOC: Run away. Just like Sir Robin.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
Any comments on what the party is going to do next?
From: Porter
Subject Searching
Mund is going to look around the room to see if there's anything more to see.
Mund is also interested in at least peeking in on the next room.
From: Karl
Subject Searching
Is Salix in the room? If so he will be looking around, using all of his skills to check for anything out of the ordinary that might be happening now that the key has been disturbed.
From: Porter
Subject Searching
If he's not in the room, Mund calls back for him to come into the room. :)
From: Derek
Subject Searching
Allistair is interested in looking at the key, seeing what this one is made of, etc. He agrees that they should peek in the next room, and then decide whether to rest (most likely) or try and kill something first.
From: Kevin
Subject Searching
As Harp watches Surin exploring around the table, he starts to get nervous - a key sitting on a table? Had any of the other keys been set up that way? He did not think so. He says quietly to Surin "Be very careful, my little freind - this almost seems too easy." With that, Harp will look around the room from where he is, trying to see if anything seems amiss.
OOC: Mark, assuming nothing jumps out at us (and that is not a safe assumption), Harp will want to go back and review the map. He has noticed (or at least I have) that there seems to be a U shaped space 10'w wide around the room where the Grey Render was. He would like the group to go back and see if they missed any secret doors in the earlier rooms or hallways. This can be before or after they take look in the next room.
If something jumps out at us as we pick up the key and leave, then he will just fight.