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Post by Juliette on Jan 17, 2019 8:18:27 GMT
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Post by 3personal5me on Jan 18, 2019 2:09:55 GMT
(I was waiting for the DM actually, to see how your actions played out. I was actually worried that this one was going to close but didn't want to say something and rock the boat)
Crucible rounded the corner behind the woman, mace now in hand. His shield still rest on his back, as yet unneeded. He took his cues from Juliette, following at a respectable distance lest his weight and bulk betray their presence. His eyes wandered over the room, looking for any sign of imminent danger. Traps, ambushes, and the like.
Perception Check: IPwu0Fux1d20+51d20+5
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Post by Juliette on Jan 19, 2019 23:30:34 GMT
( Kestrel - obviously you're the DM, but I'd suggest that we move things along and skip Gorien this round if you're happy to carry on with Crucible and I; he can always hop back in the thread and catch up if/when RL calms down for him)
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 23, 2019 20:51:49 GMT
Undertaker: Very keen on that nap and uninterested at best toward what the party hoped to accomplish in the tomb, the Undertaker has chosen to remain reclined on his gravestone seat. The more perceptive might catch a quiet grumble about “keeping an eye out for graverobbers or ghosts or whatever the damn Watch wanted me to do tonight” and an even quieter Pah! between pipe exhales.
Juliette: In the relative dimness of the antechamber you can’t make out anything unusual from just a cursory glance, and you make your way to the top of the stairs without interruption. Using your Divine Sense, you detect somewhat of a mixed aura within the tomb. The immediate area around the antechamber is undoubtedly consecrated ground, albeit faint and consecrated long ago, much like the rest of the City of the Dead based on what you can also sense outside. However, this holy aura becomes fainter as you turn your attention toward the stairs and the deeper levels of the tomb. Though at the farthest reach of your senses, you can tell that something or someone has, in fact, desecrated* some of the inner chambers. For whatever reason, you are unable to detect the presence of any kind of creature within, holy or otherwise.
Crucible: Doing your best to avoid any unnecessary clinking and clanking, you make your way into the antechamber without too much noise. However, other than the two statues in the room and the stairs at Juliette’s feet, you don’t see anything else noteworthy. The statues themselves are quite old and coated in a thick layer of dust, but who the human figures may represent is beyond your immediate knowledge.
Gorien: We're going to move on for now so the adventure doesn't get completely held up, but please feel free to post as soon as you're able! For now I'm going to assume Gorien is keeping watch at the entrance to the tomb in case something else from the City of the Dead shows up (and this can of course be modified at your discretion once you do come back!).
*Just a quick DM note to avoid any possible future confusion: I couldn’t find an exact definition on what created consecrated/desecrated ground besides, like, the Hallow spell, so I might be taking a very liberal interpretation of what constitutes desecrated ground here. Basically, a spell ISN’T necessarily required to generate consecrated/desecrated ground and instead actions of a good or evil nature can upset the balance instead if they’re “powerful” enough. Take that as you will, and if you have any issues with this interpretation please feel free to let me know!
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Post by 3personal5me on Jan 23, 2019 22:20:08 GMT
(I think your decision about what makes ground consecrated/desecrated is accurate)
"We should leave Gorien at the door, to watch our backs and the Undertaker". Hefting the mace in one hand, he peered into the darkness. "I don't want to give the impression that I think I'm in charge, but I'm positive you should go first. Unless you want to lose the element of surprise?"
Crucible knew nothing about the woman he was working with, but he was fairly certain she would put the job ahead any sort of perceived insult. He hoped so, at least. "Right. So you lead, I'll hang back, and at the first sign of trouble give a shout and I'll come running".
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Post by Juliette on Jan 24, 2019 10:59:57 GMT
Juliette spared a glance over her shoulder, and gave a curt nod to Crucible. She couldn’t disagree with his assessment. That was, in fact, exactly what she would have planned to do regardless.
“Something has desecrated the lower levels.” She said, “Wait to the count of six, then follow.” All talk of leaders and similar was ignored - she hardly cared about such things. When the battle came, there would be no leaders and followers, only those who would survive and those who would not.
She was now quite certain that something was up in the lower levels of this place, and though she found the darkness preferable to the light, her physiology had never truly acclimated to it. The darkness would steal her vision, and she would have to rely on her other senses to pick up the slack. Still. This wasn’t the first time that she’d been placed in such a situation. If the monsters in this place thought that a little darkness would be enough to save them from her, they were sorely mistaken.
With the plan struck, she stepped down into the tomb proper, moving slowly and carefully, blades drawn and eyes peering into the gloom.
In practical terms, darkness was a frustration; but she actually felt more at ease as the darkness swaddled her and held her in its embrace. Shar was the Goddess of Darkness, amongst other things, and she always felt closer to Her when she moved into such spaces.
She knew how to navigate; letting her arm, not her sword, drift in gentle contact with the cool stone; letting it guide her along the wall. There was always the hope, of course, that whoever or whatever had decided to dwell down here would light torches to help itself; but the simple fact was that she couldn’t risk alerting any creatures to her presence by lighting one herself.
If this was a hunt that was going to be conducted in darkness, then she would just have to teach the monsters that it was not a place which was safe for them any longer.
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Post by 3personal5me on Jan 24, 2019 21:22:44 GMT
Crucible watched Juliette disappear into the darkness, counting in his head. He still didn't know much about the woman, but sher certainly seemed capable and knew what she was doing. He, much like his companion, would have difficulty seeing in the dark. Finishing fhis counting, he slowly made his way forward, into the inky black. He didn't know what was here, exactly, but he was ready to bring to bear every ounce of light and fire within him. He may not be as stealthy as Juliette, nor did he possess her grace, but stealth was never really his thing anyways. He trailed his fingers along the wall as he walked, letting it guide him.
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 24, 2019 21:35:14 GMT
Juliette: Making your way down the even-cut steps without much difficulty, you find yourself delving deep underneath the City of the Dead, the darkness of the inner tomb quickly swallowing you and leaving nothing more than the touch of the cold stone wall to guide you. After what feels like near a minute of carefully traversing the staircase, even this gives way into emptiness as you become aware of another chamber opening at the foot of the steps. Most of the chamber is undiscernible blackness, though as your eyes adjust somewhat to the area, you do make out a faint purple shimmer atop what looks to be a raised stone platform directly in front of you. In the silence of the chamber you also make out the dull thud of footsteps descending the steps a small ways off behind you.
Crucible: You, too, find little difficulty in traversing the steps as you follow after Juliette. Though you move slowly, the sheer silence of the passageway makes your metallic foosteps reverberate off the stone with a dull thwump, though it's hard to tell exactly how far the sound travels. After a short while you see what looks to be Juliette's faint silhouette at the foot of the stairs. (I'm a little lazy to edit the map after posting it so Crucible is near the bottom of the steps, not at the top of them, though he hasn't quite gotten to where Juliette is, so she's still ahead of you in reacting to the chamber of course!)
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Post by 3personal5me on Jan 24, 2019 21:55:34 GMT
Crucible froze in place when he saw Juliette. While the curiosity clawed at him, he was aware that trying to get closer could give away their presence. He would wait for now.
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Post by Juliette on Jan 25, 2019 8:04:26 GMT
Juliette’s eyes narrowed at the faint purple light. Whatever was going on here, it was clearly more than some simple predator skulking in the shadows and picking off the weak.
She was still convinced that this had something to do with the great enemy; the undead, whose foul existence plagued every graveyard. It was too great a coincidence for it to be anything else. So, as she listened to the thump-thump-thump approach of her less-than-subtle colleague, she closed her eyes entirely, and let the darkness guide her.
A second pulse of divine energy radiated from her. Within the cloaking embrace of the darkness, it was far easier to call upon Shar’s guidance – just to confirm that this thing, whatever it was, was indeed the source of the desecration she had felt above.
And, more pressingly, to determine whether there were any of the hateful dead lurking in the shadows around them. She hadn’t heard anything, but some such creatures were able to move without making any sound at all, and if she could hear Crucible, they would surely be able to do the same.
((Using Divine Sense again - also happy to roll an Arcana or Religion check on what this purple glow thing might represent))
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Post by Juliette on Jan 25, 2019 17:45:04 GMT
Arcana Check: xUOr1CdY1d20+11d20+1
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 25, 2019 22:11:53 GMT
Crucible: You wait, as still as a warforged, near the bottom of the stairs.
Juliette:
Divine Sense: Sensing the area within and around the tomb for a second time, you can feel that, while some tendrils of dark corruption have reached into this chamber, the source of the desecration you felt earlier is still deeper within the tomb. You do pick up the presence of two undead beings nearby, however (indicated in red on the map).
Arcana Check: Using your knowledge of magic combined with the known customs of Waterdeep, you discern that the purple shimmer is emanating from a magic teleportation circle inscribed on the floor of the platform. You recall that it’s not uncommon for the noble houses of the city to maintain such portals within their tombs (which lead to private outer-dimensional burial grounds). However, this portal appears to have been made inactive, and radiates only with residual energy.
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Post by Kai Wren on Jan 26, 2019 2:59:00 GMT
Juliette’s approach had been as stealthy as she could manage. As she stood, swathed in darkness, and Shar’s divine power emanated from her, though, a faint hiss sounded from between her lips.
She could feel the undead lurking in this place. It was as though they defiled the darkness by their mere presence within it; twin sources of sickly-sweet decay. She could taste their rotten flesh on the tip of her tongue. She could smell their foulness, polluting the sacred dark with their disgusting, rotted souls.
The hiss grew louder, deeper, into a full-on snarl as she tightened her grip on her weapons, and turned her head every so slightly towards the nearest blasphemy. Though none could see it, the woman’s eyes were wide within the darkness, rendered dark, shining discs by the un-light of her Goddess.
In her mind’s eye she saw again the victims of these monsters. The mutilated corpses of the helpless and the homeless; bodies torn and rent, twisted faces locked for eternity in expressions of raw anguish.
Each one had been a personal failure. She had failed in her duty to protect them from these creatures.
This, she could not suffer to allow for even a second longer.
“You dare to exist in my presence?!” She roared, casting off any pretence to stealth with the exclamation of hot, wrathful anger that rose up in her. She could not control herself any longer; the supposition had proven correct, and the time for hiding was now over.
“I am your reckoning! Know that your time upon this world is over and despair for this is your END!”
As she bellowed the words, laced with all the venom and hatred she could muster, her disgust was focused as a weaponised force, the nearest foul presence marked out with the caustic judgement of her divine power. It was not merely a dramatic proclamation; it was a Divine promise, filling the gloom with the promise of vengeance.
Within the darkness, she still could not see exactly what she was dealing with, but she could absolutely sense where it was, and that was all she needed. She had faith that her Goddess would not allow the darkness to serve as protection for these monsters any longer; the darkness was hers and Shar had guided her to this place. She would ensure that these creatures fell beneath her steel and fury.
In a sudden, headlong lunge the Paladin dove towards the undead creature with unerring precision. She had no idea of the details of what she struck against, but that hardly mattered; the monster could be a mindless zombie or a Vampire Lord of the highest order. This was her city, her home, and she would not countenance the existence of such entities within the bounds of her sanctuary.
Within the darkness, Juliette’s blade cut a silent, deadly slash, running horizontal down from where she’d estimate shoulder to hip would be on a standard humanoid. The time for subtlety, it seemed, was over – now was the time for righteous vengeance and Holy work to be done.
(Bonus Action - Hunter's Mark (remaining spell slots: 2), and ATTACK! With disadvantage as discussed.)
kmT29bdK1d20+5 OR 1d20+5
If successful, damage: 2d6+3
1d20+5·1d20+5·2d6+3
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Post by 3personal5me on Jan 26, 2019 3:25:27 GMT
Hearing Juliettes enraged shouting, Crucible rushed down the last few steps and into the large room. Drawing his shield and mace, he searched the dark from his companion and their enemies. Clearly Juliette had decided that the time for stealth was over. Cursing the dark around him, he muttered an incantation and his shield began to cast a bright light in a 20 ft radius, and dim like in 20 more. (Casting Light )
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 27, 2019 10:38:12 GMT
Juliette: Though the power behind your chanced swing is matched only by the righteous fury within your battle cry, midway through the attack your blade unfortunately catches on and reflects off something solid with a hard clink. Knowing the presence of your foe, however, you successfully bestow your Hunter’s Mark upon them.
Crucible: With the deafening silence of the inner chamber broken by the paladin’s sudden indignation, you enter the chamber proper and cast Light. At once the chamber becomes bathed in a warm, yellow glow.
Party: With the light of Crucible’s shield, the two of you can now make out the whole of the chamber. The modest-sized room is dominated by a wide stone dais at its center upon which is inscribed the aforementioned, previously deactivated, magic teleportation circle. Aside from this, you can see four intricately carved ceramic sarcophagi nestled into slightly raised alcoves at each corner of the chamber, each of which bear the likeness of a different pack animal: a mule, ox, horse, and donkey. The closest sarcophagus to Juliette, the ox, lies partially broken (with a fresh gash now near its snout) revealing a hallow interior. Beginning to climb out of this interior is an animated skeleton. Chattering angrily at the paladin, the undead creature is clothed in tattered bits of leather and a rusted iron pauldron, while in its left hand is clutched a ceremonial sword.
Aside from the stairs you descended from, the only other opening into the chamber is a narrow hallway within the opposite wall that leads deeper into the tomb. In the dimness of this far hallway Crucible can make out a second skeleton similarly armed and now also very much aware of the party.
Everyone please roll initiative!
Skeleton 1 (in the sarcophagus): MAfLQQgk1d20+2 Skeleton 2 (in the hallway): 1d20+2 1d20+2·1d20+2
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