It's funny because originally the character playing Brendon was going to check out the crates but got side tracked in the Discord and eventually his turn post totally discounted looking at any of the boxes.
Follows:
TWO HUNDRED THIRTY THREE
(I/C)
Brendon frowned. “It appears someone had a hissy fit in here.”
“Yeah, a fucking Dragon,” Lannis hissed.
“You sure?”
“Pretty damned nipple raising positive, Magnum.”
Looking behind them, the Scout shook his head, “The light projecting into the hall can’t be good. Let’s move inside and close and lock the door.” He pointed to the elf, “Wyn and I can look around.”
Lyra was very uncomfortable, “I say out, right guys? Out...? Oh Aine...” she swore as Wyn was waving everyone to get in.
"In we go, mes ami. Quickly! Allons-y."
The party entered and Lannis gave Lyra a comforting pat as he guided her in, "Come on Bill S. Preston Esquire, in we go, it's better than being out here. Because out here? There be dragons"
“Lovely,” she grunted, stepping through the portal.
Once inside, Brednon shut the door and using the key, locked it from inside the room, handing the ring back to Wyn who took it with a short, “Merci.”
The chamber felt electric, the party could feel their skin was awash with energy as the two gems on the pedestals cycled through their rainbow coloring again and again and again. The Throne room was huge, larger than anything the group had seen so far in their travels within the Ispan’s Castle and the 20 plus mummified dead elves did not make things any easier on them.
Wyn cleared his throat to get the group attention and then began, “H'okay... checkin out all de bodies and wall will take a while. We should jump on a few quicker tings first. Wall, gems, thrones, scales... oui. Oui..."
“Elf-friend,” Kovid suggested, “let’s look for the secret door or hall Arik and Moira spoke about behind the throne.”
"H'okay... Dwarfriend, as you said, we check back dere. Everyone keep does goddess weapons sheathed en stowed fer de time bein'. Not sure if havin all de goddess weapons out will affect de Eye of Ishtari,” he gave both of them a troubled gaze. “Whichever one of de gems dat be."
Snapping his fingers, he pointed at Lannis, "Monsieur Offop, I tink only one such as you would be qualified enough to discern de archaic intentions of those glowing gems. Perhaps you might consult wit de priestess in de event dat de gems have some divine connection.”
“I’m going to be right here, by this door, listening, and not going any further in unless I absolutely have to.” Lyra stomped her foot as she positioned herself by the main double doors.
“It’s ok,” Lannis smiled, “I don’t have the Ishtari crate anymore but I still have the poem and stanzas thatwas found with it. With my colossal brain and keen magical insight, this shouldn’t take too long to figure out which is the degenerate sex elves’ magical geegaw.”
“We are feeling real glad you’re here,” Kovid snorted.
“You’re welcome,” Lannis said without guile.
The Scout was making his way across the chamber, giving the dead elves a sidestep when needed, “While the rest of you are checking out the throne and walls and orbs, I’d be interested in a red scales.”
“Muy as well,” Abraxas answered, also crossing the chamber with purpose.
"Sigh, Monsieur du Lac, while I understand bein' interested in de scales, yer skills may be better suited to checkin out en around de throne, I tink. See if dere be any switches or buttons or secret compartments mayhaps.... I would not sit in it dough... it may be trapped like dat pedestal dat zapped yer money away."
“And always check the arm rests,” Lannis offered.
"Oui,” Wyn grinned, “as Offop says, mayhaps check de arm rests, too."
“As soon as we’re done with the scales,” Brendon replied, the two men already picking up their first plate sized dragon scales and turning them over to inspect them.
“Shall we?” Kovid asked. He pointed east and west of the throne. “Have a preference?”
“Non.”
“Let’s look together, will maximize our chances.” The dwarf pointed (Random coin toss) east. “There first?” The elf nodded and the two of them started from the throne and made their way east of the dais checking the wall with care.
Abraxas and Brendon were able to gather up 8 scales, each one weighing about a pound (10), and mostly about the same size. The Fighter (>Int check, +2 bonus fighting stuff, Blue 14) and the Scout (<Int check, red 3) started with the obvious things. “I’ve seen these before on cargo,” Abraxas mentioned, dragging a dagger across the face of one, barely marking it.
“Really?” Brendon replied, “What color?”
“Couldn’t tell, was in the crate.”
“Too bad.” Brendon bent one of the scales almost one third of the way over before it began to make odd crackling noises. “Damn things are flexible.”
“Are they fire resistant?” Abraxas took out one of his torches and lit it. Brendon placed one of the scales right over the fire and then after a minute, touched the opposite side of the scale. “Well?”
“No heat. Don’t feel a thing.”
“So we don’t oil fire Corflarth,” Abraxas nodded. “Maybe we can make them into a shield or amror.”
“Maybe Doc. But that’s gonna take some time,” Brendon sighed, looking through the last of the scales and then stacking them by the dais. The two of them looked up at the silver and oak elven throne on the dais and the Scout pursed his lips. “I’d bet 2 to 5 it’s trapped somehow.”
“Go take a look?”
“Yep. Gonna have to,” Brendon started checking out the base of the dais as Abraxas was giving the bodies nearby the sideeye.
Meanwhile Kovid (<Secret Door, Yellow 1) and Wyn (>Secret Door, Orange 6) were giving the eastern side of the wall from the Throne to the corner a solid once over. They tapped and twisted and moved the tapestry, and flicked, and prodded, and poked for some time until they finally came to the end and nodded. “OK, there is nothing on this side, Let’s go around and check the western side of the hall.”
And Meanwhile Lannis was giving both gems a close look over (<HALF Int +2 Wizard, Pink 6), muttering as he did so. “Ok, there are burns on the base of the pedestals,” he noted. “Not deep, I’d say recent at best. Probably due to the competing magics.” He walked around them, taking his hat off and squinting to check out the gems. “One is powered by the Ispan’s spell as channeled through the 4 goddesses. So it’s awash in positive energy. And the other,” he rubbed his chin, “Is powered by Corfard and his corrupting energy fueled by draconic magic and the ritual of slain Hobgoblins.”
He paced a bit musing as he did so. “So we have one powering the rainbow ward and the other leaching the power out of it, breaking it down. A mirror of the first. And if the first is a product of positive energy, then the other is a product of negative energy.” He glanced back briefly at Lyra at the door and then returned to his study. ‘Going to need to see if she can feel negative or evil energies if we’re going to take the correct gemstone out of service.” He looked at his arms, the hairs standing up. “There is a lot of pent up raw magic fluxing against one another in this chamber that unless you’re a dragon, it’s not safe to be here for more than an hour or so.”
Finally. Lyra had been at the door, listening outside (no roll needed) and occasionally looking at the party and their doings. They were quiet and muttering to themselves as they checked out the Throne Room. (Party Surprise: Red/Black 2 – Surprised!!)
(Because she was the only one not positioned with the rest of the group and specifically said she was watching and listening: Half Wis Check: White 3 – success!) Maybe it was Aine, maybe it was luck, who knows, but Lyra happened to turn back to glance at the group when she saw a 25’ long giant reticulated python had slinked its way out of one of the two crates and had made its way across the chamber, reared back, mouth opening, ready to strike at Lannis.
(Private Initiative for Surprise round: Lyra and Snake: Steel 3 vs Red/Black 3 – tie! Reroll. Steel 3 vs Red/Black 1 – Lyra wins!)
“Lannis! LANNIS! SHIT!”
“What is it, Horse…AHHHH!!!” The Magic User shrieked in terror as he saw the snake LUNGE at him, only to slam full on into the Cleric he threw herself in front of the reptile and deflected its attack with her shield.
“Stow it!” She cried out and whipped her Lolthian Flail around in a silvery arc, “I SHOULD have taken the other spell!” she moaned as (>+1 to hit, White 19) the flanged head smashed into the snake’s face, knocking it back (1d6+1+1-1 Damage, White 3 – 4 Damage!) and making it hiss in fury.
And then it moved, quicker than the eye could track, its mouth terribly wide (<+3 to hit bite, Black 10) and caught the cleric in the arm, but her chainmail held true. Using her as an anchor it tried to ply its coil over her head (<+3 to hit Constrict, Red/Black 10) but she got her shield up in time and the heavy coil SLAMMED into the shield and was deflected momentarily to the ground again.
“Snake! Snake! Oh my god, it’s a snake!” Lannis cried out.
The rest of the party shook their head in surprise at the massive reptile (Initiative: Party Steel 3, Snake Red/Black 1) and then launched into action, Abraxas chanting ,”Badger Badger Badger!” and Kovid roaring, “Mushroom!”
Time now is Day 6, 4:30 PM
(OOC)
25’ Giant Constrictor, and Lyra saved Lannis (a total of 13 on both rolls would have had the mage bite and then coiled – say thank you Lannis!). So it’s the top of the round! Look at pic for placement – Who’s doing what?
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