Tomb of the Nine Gods

The party approaches the Tomb



(1) on the map





(G)s on the map

For now, Baldric and Edmund will take a 'cover position' since there is a sneaky guy that can go first...

"remember Balders... you hit the enemy with the sword, and you heal me... not like last time (you miserable git)"

PP - Baldric 15, Edmund 14

“Hey, be nice to Baldie,” Blue reprimands childishly. “He wasn’t TRYING to hit you. You WERE inVISIBLE after all!”

Tynman chuckles mechanically, “Ha. Ha. Ha. “

“What do you think big guy,” Blue asks.

The Metal soldier looks to the wizard as for permission before scanning. A series if feint hums and clicks calculate motion and triangulate proximities.

Rolling "1d20 +7" 2 times With Advantage

1: 9 + 7 = 16
2: 2 + 7 = 9

Blue looks around too
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +10" :

20 + 10 = 30

“You missed the bunny, the squirrels, the birds nest in the Gargoyles mouth, WITH BABIES, and...” (DM insert any casual observations). “You see, buddy, it isn’t just about what’s moving or big, there’s also some nuance to it.” Blue pauses to eat a bug. “Oh, and you missed the,” (DM insert any threats here).

 love the characters already!

just looking around the whole map area reveals the 2 text boxes that I already posted for you - 2 entry ways, a vine-covered obelisk, 3 gargoyles, etc.   Assume that what I post is what you see by just standing there and using your eyes.  Looking for traps, secret doors, hidden clues, etc involves going into a specific area and actively searching (making a roll).  

Where specifically are each of them searching? (we'll keep the same rolls)

Chris wrote:
Active Perception - you can roll your Perception score, so a chance to score higher than your PP score and you can say something like, "I search the bookcase" or "I search around the throne"  or "I search the sarcophagus"

so on this map, you might say, "I search the area around...."

the obelisk
the western cliff area (tree, bushes, cliff face)
the eastern cliff area  (tree, bushes, cliff face)
the northern passageway (dark, obscured by vines)
the eastern tunnel (smaller tunnel)


I don't mean to bog us down with rolls, but what you find in 1 area might influence the sequence of areas you search or what you do next or what might jump out at you.   Trying to search everything at once, means you would potentially trigger everything in a room all at the same time

They will move towards the obelisk.

Blue PP 20
Tynman PP 22

Clearing the vines and moss from the south face of the obelisk exposes a message carved in common:






since Blue got a 20 on his Perception check and he is an arcane trickster, he can feel that the obelisk radiates magic.  



here is Acererak's warning typed out for easier reading

Fear the night when the forsaken one seizes death's mantle and the seas dry up and the dead rise and I, Acererak the Eternal, reap the world of the living.  Those who dare enter take heed:

The enemies oppose.

One stands between them.

In darkness, it hides.

Don the mask or be seen.

Speak no truth to the doomed child.

The keys turn on the inside only.


map updated

Arcana check or Investigate worth anything for the obelisk? (let me know if you need roles)

whit10 wrote:Arcana check or Investigate worth anything for the obelisk?  (let me know if you need roles)

Arcana knowledge tells you that to learn more you would need to use something like Detect Magic or maybe Divine Sense to learn anything further

“Ooooo... ooooo... I can do it! Me me!”

(with an almost bored expression) "go ahead, oh exuberant one" mutters Edmund

Blue uses his wand of detect magic.

navyik wrote:“Ooooo... ooooo... I can do it!  Me me!”

Detect Magic

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V S
Duration: Concentration Up to 10 minutes

For the Duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any.

The spell can penetrate most barriers, but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of Common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.


Blue waves his magic wand and behold!


The obelisk radiates a strong aura of abjuration magic under
the scrutiny of a detect magic spell or similar magic






keep track of the charges

This wand has 3 Charges. While holding it, you can expend 1 charge as an action to cast the Detect Magic spell from it. The wand regains 1d3 expended Charges daily at dawn.

The Blue Avenger
Ac 21
Hp 69

Pp 20

Grovel 1/day
Spells:
1:(4)
2:(2)

Items:
Det. Magic (3) x
Magic missle (7)
Fly 4 hours


“Hmmmm... it has um... abrogation on it!”

He maintains concentration as he discusses. He will look around more with it shortly.

whenever you are ready, just let me know where you guys want to explore\go next...

you have the 3 gargoyles on the cliff
western side of the cliff
eastern side of the cliff
larger passageway to the north
smaller tunnel to the east
try something else with the obelisk


It is daytime and you are in an outside area of bright light.


by the by.... who is carrying the keys? (the 9 squares of the trickster gods)

by the by.... who is carrying the keys? (the 9 squares of the trickster gods)

“Oooooo. Ooooooo!!! Meeeee! Meeeeeeeeeee!!!!”

navyik wrote:by the by.... who is carrying the keys? (the 9 squares of the trickster gods)

“Oooooo. Ooooooo!!!  Meeeee!  Meeeeeeeeeee!!!!”

perfect, that would be these, just for reference (from background info thread), there is a larger version of the image there

Chris wrote:These are the 9 trickster gods of the Omu who were killed by Acerack.

These tiles are the "keys" to enter the Tomb of Annihilation.  Once used, they return to the temples on Omu, available to the next party of adventurers.

Alan, you pick where we start. I'm having a shitty day and not feeling that focused

I was expecting the Wizard to say “no” to that one. Blue is irresponsible. He shouldn’t be allowed to hold the keys. But he will insist that he should get to do everything.

Sorry Josh. Hope your day is better.

“What does it mean Eddie!? Adjitation magic?!”

Edmund will hold onto the keys for now. "I think that would be in our best interest for the moment" he says self-righteously

I'm fine with whatever entrance. Just not doing very well right now

“Mah.. never let me do anything...”. “But what about the abrogation magic on the bascilisc?!” He points at the obelisk shrugging wide? He loses focus and wanders towards the foliage to the right, again curious.

Tynman watches with a javelin at the ready.

Blue mucks about in the bushes without finding anything interesting. Just as boredom is about to take hold, he catches a bit of light reflect off something shiny down the long dark tunnel.

“Ooooo... shiny...”. Blue is about to start down the passage. (Which one?)

“Perimeter caution,” says Tynman. “Squad coherence.”

“Huh?” Blue turns towards the other cliff face. “

I'm fine with this tunnel.

In all honesty, I have to back away from this for tonight. I'm sorry. Shit didn't just hit the fan today, it obliterated the fan

Call if you want to vent, Josh.

Blue gets bored and wanders over to the bird nest in the Gargoyles mouth.

Tynman maintains overwatch.

I appreciate the offer Alan. I just need a day to process the fact that my days as an investigator are probably over (at least as far as ADC is concerned).

A lot to process... I'll be ok

navyik wrote:“Ooooo... shiny...”. Blue is about to start down the passage. (Which one?)

“Perimeter caution,” says Tynman. “Squad coherence.”

“Huh?”  Blue turns towards the other cliff face. “

the shiny is down the smaller tunnel to the East, since that is the cliff side Blue was exploring first


Blue wanders over to the western cliff side and with his keen eyes (PP) he notices something....


Pulling aside the heavy undergrowth, you uncover an
archway in the cliff face. Stone skulls peer down from
the lintel, and old bones litter the threshold. As light
strikes the entrance, a swarm of bats screeches out from
within.

map updated  (I will add grid if\when you get into combat, but the map keeps changing, so just saving myself time until its needed)




down the new archway, the door looks like this

"Well Blue, it looks like you've found something" mutters Edmund.

I would think it makes more sense for the Pally to go in right behind Blue but marching order is certainly negotiable

“So if this is the REAL passage, I wonder what was down those others?” Blue jumps up and down shaking his fists with excitement!

“Come on Baldy. I guess there’s no harm in making a little noise. I bet that ablasion magic was an alarm spell. They probably know we’re here...”

Baldric has been mostly ignoring Edmund so far... "be careful Blue, this is a place of terrible evil... I will stay close to you, be wary"

Edmund just rolls his eyes and mumbles something about "bloody do-gooders"

Baldric - sword and shield out and ready, Edmund will cast mage armor (lasts 8 hours).

Ready to go

Blue watches Edmund carefully whenever he casts a spell.

“I bet those other tunnels are traps. They’re probably just filled with dead adventures loaded down with treasures...”

Then he begins to move carefully towards the door, on the lookout for hidden dangers as he goes.

navyik wrote:
So if this is the REAL passage, I wonder what was down those others?

“I bet those other tunnels are traps. They’re probably just filled with dead adventures loaded down with treasures...”

Blue gets 1 inspiration point!  

navyik wrote:
Then he begins to move carefully towards the door, on the lookout for hidden dangers as he goes.

A slab of worked stone blocks the overgrown tunnel
some twenty feet from the entrance. Grinning skulls
mark the edges of the slab, in the center of which are
nine cube-shaped cavities arranged in three rows of
three.

sorry, I know this image is huge, but I wanted you to be able to see the details in the door




Blue notices that there lots of different tracks in the passageway, in addition to dung and bones
since he has Detect Magic active, he reads an aura of Evocation around the 9 cube-shaped cavities

that gets Edmund's attention. "be careful you lot, whatever enchantments are on that arch, it could get messy very quickly in here"

Perception check for runes, sigils or other 'triggers'??

if needed

Roll(1d20)+4:
2,+4
Total:6

lol... uh, I guess Edmund saw something interesting on the floor or something.

Pally tries as well (since he's all business at this point)

Perception:

Roll(1d20)+5:
15,+5
Total:20

well that's better

“Carefully, it’s prolly a bomb if you put the keys in wrong.” Blue waits for their assessment before attempting to confirm.

whit10 wrote:

Perception check for runes, sigils or other 'triggers'??

so remember back to the discussion post about the difference between Perception and Investigation....


in general, perception tells you something is there, while investigation tells you how it operates


also, you could try:

Religion since the cubes are bases on the 9 Trickster Gods
Arcana since you know there is an enchantment on the door
History since the 9 Trickster Gods are part of the history of Omu




also keep in mind Acererack's clues

yes, I was just going to address this:

Baldric will use Religion and Edmund will use Arcana and then Investigation to figure this all out (9 holes, 9 things we have to place in them)


Religion check:

Roll(1d20)+3:
18,+3
Total:21

Damn, Baldric is getting some good damned rolls, hope this keeps up.

Arcana:

Roll(1d20)+9:
14,+9
Total:23

Investigation:

Roll(1d20)+9:
14,+9
Total:23

Edmund seems to have his focus back.

All of this is to determine the "order" that the cubes go in

nice rolls and use of skills!

Religion informs Baldric about the natures of the 9 Trickster Gods


I’jin  (female)  Chaotic Neutral
Fickle and unpredictable
“I never stick to a
plan.”



Kubazan (male)  Chaotic Good
Wild and spirited
“I am fearless and not
afraid to take great risks.”


Moa (male)   Lawful Good
Truthful and kind
“I must always speak
the truth.”


Nangnang (female)  Neutral Evil
Selfish and cruel
“I won’t share with
others.”


Obo’laka (female)  Lawful Neutral
Nervous and obsessive
“I am risk-averse and a
slave to routine.”


Papazotl (male) Lawful Evil
Shrewd and conniving
“I bow before no one
and expect others to do as
I command.”


Shagambi  (female)  Neutral Good
Wise and virtuous
“I never show mercy to
evildoers.”


Unkh (female)  Neutral
Selfabsorbed and indecisive
“I am incapable of
making decisions.”

Wongo  (male)  Chaotic Evil
Violent and deranged
“I act without concern
for the well-being of
others.”



Adder's knowledge of the Arcane arts leads him to suspect that the Evocation aura on the door would inflict some sort of damaging effect if the keys are put into the door in the wrong combination.  Adder's deduces from his Investigation that the order the keys are inserted is not as important as their locations.

“Ooooo. Ooooo, I can start putting them in!”

Edmund goes to respond but Baldric cuts him off....

"of course Blue, but may I ask you instead to keep your eyes open and watchful while we do this? It would be a great help to us" (in a very kindly voice)

Edmund ignores them both and starts matching cubes and holes (... that sounds like a really weird sex game, lol)

“Finally I get to do something important.” Blue keeps watch.

whit10 wrote:Edmund goes to respond but Baldric cuts him off....

"of course Blue, but may I ask you instead to keep your eyes open and watchful while we do this? It would be a great help to us" (in a very kindly voice)

Edmund ignores them both and starts matching cubes and holes (... that sounds like a really weird sex game, lol)

nice roleplay!


Edmund needs to be specific about which cubes he puts in which cavities

um, the appropriate one that should go there? I'm not sure what you're asking for, I thought that was the point of the skill checks?

I must be missing something....

skill checks gave you the information you need to figure it out.  I am never going to just tell you the answer based on a skill check

there are 9 cavities
9 cubes, each representing a trickster god
you now have information about the gods (religion skill check)
a clue from Acererak
information that the door is magically trapped (arcane)
information that the location (sequence doesn't matter) of where you put the cubes (keys) in the cavities is what triggers the trap (investigation) or unlocks the door

They’re alignments.

uh, Alan, any thoughts on this??

I'm going to have to re-read some stuff and give it more thought later today.

navyik wrote:They’re alignments.

does Blue or Tyn care to test that theory?

“Program parameter execution...” Tynman muses mechanically. It is his way of volunteering.

are there any recognizable marks (regarding alignment) on the cubes?