Tomb of Horrors IC (Inevitable Corpses)

Jam Warrior

Mike has correctly deduced the location of the release mechanism and with some deft crowbar and knife work manages to open the trapdoor. It swings down to reveal a 30 foot deep pit, menacing with spikes of steel. Whilst falling on the spikes would be a painful experience, they are spaced far enough apart that someone standing at the base of the pit could carefully squeeze between them.

Whilst you see no exits from the pit, you notice what appear to be a number of glinting gems amongst the rubble and detritus gathered between the spikes.

streever

"I found it, now you probably want me to climb down and get it, huh?"
is anyone else better at athletics/acrobatics? +10 ath, +13 acro, and I have a climbers kit

Fondor_Yards

"Ha no! I can't let you have all the fun can I? Climbing is my specialty, watch and learn." Taking the rope from Mike, he ties it around himself, before he grabs the edge of the pit and slowly starts working his way down, without even using the rope or any tools.

Goliath racial +climbers kit+Bracers of Brachiation*climb speed of 3*, +14 acrobatics, +12 athletics. Heh I think I've got this. If it's not clear I'll lower myself climbing down with the Bracers of Brachiation, using the rope and it's minotaur anchor as a safety line.

Jam Warrior

With the aid of the magic bracers, Mike effortlessly lowers himself into the pit. Carefully avoiding the spikes and poking around in the rubbish he finds 6 gems (50 gp each) presumably dropped by previous adventurers.

Steelhawk

"Excellent!" cheers on Derek, pleased to have his hunch pay off. "Now, whats in the chest?"

KamikazeCommunist

"I don't know," Frederick replies, "hows vill ve get to ze box now?"

streever

"Wouldn't it be a little two obvious if the chest contained actual treasure? Probably it's some poison gas or some such. We know two of the pits have treasure." With that, Mike begins searching along the corridor, looking for anything which suggests the pit next to it might have treasure. He's looking at the frescoes and imagery on the walls, and trying to discern any connection to the pit in the ground beneath.

Jam Warrior

None of the other frescoes contain 3D elements or prominent treasure related visuals.

Steelhawk

"I can always conjour up a floating disk that one of us, maybe two or three can stand on." Derek replies, watching Mike and his investigations.

Jam Warrior

Farangu

Terios' intelligence that he was flaunting a moment ago seems to have left him.

He stands ready to assist in any plans the others might concoct, however.

Fondor_Yards

"That sounds good" calls Ferdinand from down in the pit. "Summon your circle thing, Mikey up there can sit on it and open the chest while I get out of this hole."

streever

Gritting his teeth, Mike curses out, "I--don't--WANT--to--open--the--gods--damned--box. It's obviously a trap."

Stepping off to the side, Mike hefts his crowbar. "I'll hit the damn box."

Mike will try to hit the box, from the side, with his crowbar.

Jam Warrior

Apart from a dull metallic thunk, there is no reaction.

Steelhawk

"Ye gods," Derek rolls his eyes. "Give me a minute or two..."

Derek rummages around in his pouches for the components needed, and sets about casting Tensers Floating Disk. Soon, a magical disk winks into existence beside Derek who, with a waggle of his fingers sends it over to Mike.

"There you go."



Arcana check = 20 Hmm. A crap roll, but the 3' diameter disk will still hold upto 500 pounds, and will last 24 hours.

streever

"Gods be damned..." Mike grumbles to himself, fixing a rope around himself and once more tossing it to the minotaur. "Ioun knows what type of horrible trap is set on this thing..." he says, by way of explanation, as he climbs onto the disc and unwillingly works on opening the box.

He covers his mouth with cloth, in case of poison gas, and has made sure the length of rope from him to the minotaur is short enough that if it explodes he won't end up at the bottom of the pit.

Jam Warrior

Standing on the hovering disc of force energy, Mike sets about investigating the box. Now he is able to get close enough to get his hands on the box he quickly finds a small catch hidden in the lid. Detecting nothing untoward linked to it he releases it.

When he unclenches, stops holding his breath and opens his eyes, he finds that lid has swung down to reveal....

...the bottom of an apparently empty box.

Farangu

Terios begins laughing.

streever

"I told you," he mutters, cursing under his breath, as he gets back to solid ground and starts putting away his ropes and supplies. "Should we open the other pit traps?"

Steelhawk

Not wanting a perfect good floating disk to go to waste, Derek hops on board and floats alongside his companions, arms folded across his chest and cloak billowing out behind him.

"We found gems in one pit trap, who knows what other poor dead bastards have left behind?"

Jam Warrior

Mike makes his way down the corridor attempting to recreate his success in jimmying open the pit trap. After 15 minutes of fruitless tapping and prying, it is with some meekness he has to shrug his shoulders and give up on the first one he tries. Then the same happens with the second. And the third. It is with a distinct sweat on his brow and a sigh of relief that he manages to open the last one he tries at the far south end of the corridor.

Eagerly peeking in he sees a familiar 30 foot deep pit lined with nasty looking spikes. There is markedly less rubble on the floor in this pit (perhaps those who are likely to fall for pit traps tend to have not made it this last one) and nothing of worth obviously visible from peering in the top.

Farangu

"Well that was worthwhile. Oh well.

Do we take a peek through that mouth-wall, or do we experiment with the color wheel?"

Steelhawk

"Hmm. I was sure we would have had better luck." Derek frowns, floating his disk over each unopened trap in turn, senses alert for danger. "Maybe we should try again?"

Jam Warrior

Derek stands next to the first pit that Mike had failed to open. With a clearing of the throat to get Mike's attention he nonchalantly bangs his foot down at the edge of the pit and it obligingly swings open.

The effect is slightly ruined when a veritable riverdance of stamping fails to produce the same the result in either of the other two pits.

The newly opened pit (second from Northernmost) again reveals a 30 foot spike pit and some piles of rubble.

Steelhawk

"Damnit. At least know it should be possible to open the other trap doors." Floating over the stubborn trap doors, Derek tries again.

3 Dungeoneering Checks = 3#1d20+11 = 28, 15 & 22

KamikazeCommunist

"Ja, if youse guys needs me to look in inzide ze mouth," Frederick says to the group, "I'd be more zan happy to."

Fondor_Yards

"I like your gusto my friends, but I think if we check each trap we find for gold, we shall be here a very long time. Perhaps we should move on, I don't think he put his greatest treasure behind pit trap number 4."

Steelhawk

Derek shrugs in defeat. "Very well. I just hope we don't have to come back this way and look for a key or a secret passage."

He floats over to the demon mouth, "Well Fredrick, in you go!"

Derek is more than happy to let you guys stick your heads into a demon mouth first.

streever

"wait wait wait!" Mr Moustaches interrupts. "The nine hell are we thinking? Let's be careful. We figured out that the demon head is for extremely good people. Is that you?" he demands, peering at Fredrick. "We know that the gate is safe if we sacrifice a magic item. Do we have spare? Anyone have anything they don't need?"

Farangu

Back from PAX. Let's get this rolling again.

Terios shakes his head, as if waking from a small dream.

"If we're dead set on the demon head, I don't really need these bracers. Someone should decide soon, though."

Steelhawk

"Good on you Terios. I'm afraid I don't have anything to spare." Derek replies with a grateful nod. He is still standing atop his floating disk, which is mere inches above the ground.

Fondor_Yards

"I can also part with my belt, can you use your magic to see how we are suppost to offer our 'sacrifice of magic metal?' I rather not just chuck things into it if we don't know if it will do anything."

Jam Warrior

Mike starts to have a bit of a poke around the gems surrounding the portal. He can find no mechanisms or moving parts in the gem surroundings or any of the arch. If it does anything it is entirely magical in nature rather than mechanical. As he makes his way around the arch he puts his hand against the yellow stone and it suddenly glows brighter than it was before. The other two he had previously passed over on his way to it didn't react.

Derek, who was concurrently studying the arch's magic searching for specific links to item sacrifice (he finds none), stands up suddenly in surprise. He sensed a reaction in the teleportation magic weave at the same as the stone reacted. As if a step was taken toward some kind of conformational change.

streever

Mike jumps back, looking at his hand in horror. "Forget it. I'm not touching magic anymore."

Fondor_Yards

"Bah you are a little baby. Move aside then, let someone else do it if you won't." Reaching over him, Ferdinand touches the orange stone.

streever

"Yea, you do it! Stick your hand right in there, meatshield."

Jam Warrior

The yellow light dims once more.

Fondor_Yards

Frowning at first, Ferdinand gets an idea and touches the yellow and orange stones together.

Jam Warrior

#Time passes#

After much poking and prodding at the stones trying new combinations, Ferdinand stumbles upon the order yellow, blue, orange, that results in all three lighting up and staying lit.

The mists clear and the other side of the arch can be seen. A 10 foot by 15 foot, smooth walled alcove is revealed. The red tile path passes though the centre of the arch and ends abruptly at the wall opposite.

Steelhawk

Derek frowns, "That was...disappointing. There's got to be more to it than that."

Do we Perceive anything about this new hallway?
Dungeoneering = 15
Arcana = 34 Natural 20!