Only in Balance Can You Find Deathtraps

[Dracos]

Sep 07 19:01:40 *   Adail chuckles, "Well, we're all still alive and that's what matters. And really Mari," the musteval teased, "I'm sure if you wanted to get Kam undressed there are easier ways to go about it."
Sep 07 19:01:42 <Kotono>   Yulia flies down to Kamvakua, "Hey listen, are you okay? You're smoking and pantsless and your armor has to be chafing!!!!" All of this is blurted out in one long sentence.
Sep 07 19:02:27 <Knight>   "This is not a time for jesting, Adail," notes Knight, throwing a dark look at the musteval. "Injuries as severe as that are not humorous."
Sep 07 19:02:34 *   Adail heads over towards Kam and incantates a healing spell.
Sep 07 19:02:51 *   Nikkolai shakes his head and wordlessly leans against the wall, watching the others patch up Kam.
Sep 07 19:03:00 <Adail>   roll 2d8+4 CMW
Sep 07 19:03:09 <Kamvakua>   "...I've been better," Kamvakua stood.  "And I'll live.  But I could use a moment to rest," Kamvakua was soft spoken as he remained against the wall.
Sep 07 19:03:19 <Adail>   roll 2d8+4 CMW
Sep 07 19:03:20 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 2d8+4 CMW and gets 10." [2d8=1, 5]
Sep 07 19:04:02 <Mari>   "It was an accident, Adail! Hells, it ate everything, didn't it? Look, Kam, when we get back to town, we're gonna sell this dress to pay for getting you some new stuff, alright? It's rare, so somebody should want it. And I mean it's nice and all but I don't really *need* it, right? This was my fault, so don't argue!"
Sep 07 19:04:03 <Kotono>   Meanwhile the frozen white slime is still vast, an entire block of ice blocking the way into the room it came from. It glistens with it's new found frozen status.
Sep 07 19:05:14 <Nikkolai>   "Well. It looks like there's no course but to turn back. Unless we can simply shatter the ice away." Nikkolai walks up to the wall of slimy ice, tapping it experimentally.
Sep 07 19:05:32 <Kotono>   OOC: There's another door that you didn't go through and is unblocked, bear in mind.
Sep 07 19:05:39 <Adail>   "Any disasterous situation we survive is reason enough for humor," Adail disagrees, then turns his attention to looking over Kam, "Hmm. I should use another."
Sep 07 19:05:47 <Adail>   roll 2d8+4 CMW mk2
Sep 07 19:05:47 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 2d8+4 CMW mk2 and gets 14." [2d8=6, 4]
Sep 07 19:05:51 <Kotono>   Tapping the frozen slime, the entire thing crumbles! It falls to little hunks of ice in a great rain, becoming a pile of ruin on the floor!
Sep 07 19:06:00 *   Kamvakua gives a wan grin, nodding appreciatively to Adail as his flesh started to appear less devoured.
Sep 07 19:06:26 *   Mari eeps! "Well, at least we know it's not gonna thaw out and attack us again.
Sep 07 19:06:30 <Mari>   "
Sep 07 19:07:35 *   Nikkolai raises an eyebrow. "I don't know my own strength sometimes." He deadpanned.
Sep 07 19:07:59 <Knight>   "The ice seemed unusually brittle. I suppose this enables us to proceed," notes Knight. She pulls on a lever near the head of her mechanical mount, causing a vent of steam to burst forth from it's nostrils. "Shall we?"
Sep 07 19:08:28 <Mari>   "Yeah, I guess. Let's, uh, be a little more careful what we touch in the next rooms..."
Sep 07 19:08:39 <Nikkolai>   "Lead the way, mecha-Knight." Nikkolai inclines his head and gestures into the room.
Sep 07 19:08:49 *   Adail goes and peeks his head into the room the slime came from, wondering if there was anything that survived at the bottom of the pool with it.
Sep 07 19:09:35 <Kotono>   The pool is about 10 feet deep. It's half full of ruined, broken ice shards...OOC: Make spot, Adail. Which room were you going for, Knight?
Sep 07 19:10:01 <Knight>   "Mecha-Knight?..." Shaking her head, Knight pushes down on a pedal on her right, and the mount begins to clomp forward. Heavy footfalls echo off the ground, betraying subtlety. OOC: The one the ice ooze was blocking
Sep 07 19:10:10 <Adail>   roll 1d20+6 using DM/DE/SI as usual as well.
Sep 07 19:10:11 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+6 using DM/DE/SI as usual as well. and gets 12." [1d20=6]
Sep 07 19:10:42 <Kotono>   It's not too hard to see as the party advances. The floor is stone, but a section of it is darker colored and perfectly square, standing out.
Sep 07 19:11:26 *   Adail points out said square!
Sep 07 19:11:46 <Mari>   "Uhhh, what are we thinking here, trap panel?" Mari says, circling the discolored patch. "I'm not taking anything for granted right now."
Sep 07 19:11:52 <Nikkolai>   "Hmm. If it's a trap, it's pitifully obvious."
Sep 07 19:12:05 <Adail>   "That's more your territory then mine, Mari. Care to give it a once over?"
Sep 07 19:12:22 <Nikkolai>   "Stick a toe in, Mari." Nikkolai suggested, smirking slightly.
Sep 07 19:12:28 <Knight>   "I would suggest that the entire point of a trap is not to be noticed in the first place..."
Sep 07 19:12:39 <Kotono>   OOC: Roll search if you're checking it, Mari.
Sep 07 19:12:42 <Mari>   "Yeah, sure."
Sep 07 19:12:50 <Mari>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 07 19:12:51 <Kamvakua>   "A trap under an Ooze?  Seems excessive," Kamvakua was slowly recovering.  "Does anyone have an outfit I can borrow?"
Sep 07 19:12:52 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+10 and gets 29." [1d20=19]
Sep 07 19:13:16 <Kotono>   Mari finds it's not trapped. It looks to be a removable segment of the floor. From tapping it you can tell it's hollow, likely covering a hole of some sort.
Sep 07 19:13:18 <Adail>   "I have a spare gi you could possibly fashion into a loincloth, but other then that, no." Adail deadpans.
Sep 07 19:13:21 <Knight>   "None that would fit you, I am afraid. You more than two feet over me."
Sep 07 19:13:27 <Knight>   *are more
Sep 07 19:13:45 <Kotono>   "Maybe the ooze was a door guard?" Yulia supplies from her perch on Nikkolai. "Like a big attack dog but more nastier?"
Sep 07 19:13:53 <Mari>   "Hang on Kam," Mari calls back. "You can I guess wrap my normal clothes around you or something. It's, uh, pretty distracting the way you are, so." Mari tries to lift up the stone panel.
Sep 07 19:14:05 <Nikkolai>   "So the slime was guarding a treasure trove?" Nikkolai says hopefully. "Perhaps there are books?"
Sep 07 19:14:50 <Kotono>   Oooof! The stone slab is lifted up! Ahead lies an icy slope downwards into darkness. It's not a hard slope - you'll slide right on down but it wouldn't be impossible to climb back up, perhaps.
Sep 07 19:16:21 *   Mari sets the slab aside, looks up at the others. "It goes...somewhere. I dunno if we want to slide down there before checking out every other door first." She stands up, digs her usual traveling clothes out of her pack and hands them over to Kam (though not without getting one last good look in first!)
Sep 07 19:16:27 *   Adail eyes down the slide, "Do we want to investigate this? I can go scout it out first if we do?"
Sep 07 19:16:35 <Knight>   "Let's set a rope up here, and then Adail or Mari, perhaps, can shimmy down and check to see what lies ahead," suggests Knight. "It would be trouble to get all of us down there at once."
Sep 07 19:16:58 <Kotono>   "I can go too!" Yulia suggests, "I can fly back up if something bad happens!
Sep 07 19:16:59 <Kotono>   "
Sep 07 19:17:08 <Mari>   "Yeah, I guess that could work. Hopefully it's not just the garbage chute or something."
Sep 07 19:17:10 *   Nikkolai peers down into the darkness. "I would gladly volunteer to go first. I've never been down a slide before."
Sep 07 19:17:29 <Kamvakua>   "Thanks," Kamvakua smiled as he briefly tried them...and then decided to wrap them into a makeshift loincloth.  A little privacy is better than none.
Sep 07 19:17:43 *   Nikkolai glances at Yulia. "Perhaps that is best, bright one. Do you mind?"
Sep 07 19:17:55 *   Adail then looks around, "I do hope someone besides Kam was carrying rope?"
Sep 07 19:18:02 <Kamvakua>   "Only those who can fly back up should go.  Yulia scouting seems wise."
Sep 07 19:18:15 <Knight>   "I would prefer to dispatch those more capable of surviving on their lonesome," notes Knight. "Adail and Mari could deal better with unexpected surprises, I think. Oh, of course," adds Knight, rummaging around in her bag.
Sep 07 19:18:19 <Mari>   "Yeah, I've got some right here." Mari looks for something to tie it on within reach of the shaft.
Sep 07 19:18:38 <Adail>   "I'm hesitant to let Yulia go alone, but if she's up for it..." Adail hedges a bit, but nods.
Sep 07 19:19:02 <Kotono>   "I don't want to go alone," Yulia says, "But if you really want me to I'll try!"
Sep 07 19:19:03 <Nikkolai>   "She can go incorporeal. She'll be fine." Nikkolai pats the courre gently on the head.
Sep 07 19:19:13 <Mari>   "Yulia shouldn't go alone in case there are more clothes-eating blobs around! She can go with me."
Sep 07 19:19:40 *   Adail nods, "You can take this one, then." He stands aside and lets Mari do the scouting this time~
Sep 07 19:20:07 <Kotono>   Yulia shifts and turns into a globe of light, her possessions littering Nikkolai's shoulders, "Take care of them," she calls, going over to Mari.
Sep 07 19:20:27 *   Mari ties her rope to the door, if there's nothing else handy nearby, and uses it to slowly descend the shaft.
Sep 07 19:20:47 <Nikkolai>   "Of course, bright one. Do be careful! And take care of Mari. You know how she is."
Sep 07 19:21:20 <Kotono>   As Mari and Yulia head down, Serith paces behind the party. She sniffs the air and growls.
Sep 07 19:22:08 *   Nikkolai looks back at the big cat. "Something amiss, o kitty of mine?"
Sep 07 19:22:10 <Kamvakua>   "What is it?" Kamvakua eyed Serith, and then Adail.
Sep 07 19:22:21 *   Adail stays near Serith, and is of course in translate mode.
Sep 07 19:23:27 <Kotono>   "The pack is splitting up. This is dangerous in such an unnatural place."
Sep 07 19:24:09 <Adail>   "They're not going far, just to see what's down there. They'll come back up rather then advance if it's just another passageway."
Sep 07 19:24:26 <Nikkolai>   "Did your pack not send out scouts when hunting? Is it wise to risk the entire pack to an unknown danger when a few are capable of sussing it out?"
Sep 07 19:24:38 <Knight>   "Mari and Yulia are capable of escaping danger quickly, more quickly than the rest of us could when down there. Were we all to head down, it would be the same as committing to engage whatever we come across. Not to mention, the shaft is too small for us to all act freely..."
Sep 07 19:28:58 <Kotono>   "I hope it's not danger," Serith prowls and growls, awaiting and watching.
Sep 07 19:29:32 *   Kamvakua glances at the rope, checking that it was still taunt and nothing had devoured Mari.
Sep 07 19:29:57 <Kotono>   Nothing obviously afoul has happened to the rope.
Sep 07 19:31:08 <Kotono>   As you watch Yulia flies back up! "Hey listen! It's safe down there but there's also a floor trap Mari fell into, but there's space down there and a door way far away!"
Sep 07 19:31:49 <Knight>   "You mean, if we go straight down the slide we'll hit something dangerous?"
Sep 07 19:31:50 *   Nikkolai frowns. "Well, let us untie the rope and go after her. Guess we'll have to haul her up."
Sep 07 19:31:55 <Kamvakua>   "Alright, I'll lead down." Kamvakua moved onto the slide, sliding down using the rope a bit to hold on.
Sep 07 19:32:33 <Kotono>   "No no, it's safe, after it, you'll see," Yulia says.
Sep 07 19:32:44 *   Adail frowns, "Can the horse and Serith fit down there?"
Sep 07 19:33:43 <Knight>   "We have our contrivances," replies Knight, producing her familiar-by-now ropy covering. "It seems to shrink anything it surrounds," she adds, knotting it around her now-stationary steed.
Sep 07 19:34:12 *   Nikkolai begins down the slide with nary a word, trusting the others to follow. Hoping that Mari hadn't gotten herself in trouble. Again.
Sep 07 19:36:38 *   Adail waits with Serith, "If there's room once down there, perhaps Yulia could carry the harness back up for me to tie on Serith to make the slide easier for her?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC: Mari and Yulia adventures

Sep 07 19:22:37 <Kotono>   Down Mari and Yulia go! The shaft is roughly 60 feet long, leading to an iced over, smooth bottom. It's bitterly cold here, even by the standards of this miserable realm. There is faint light, the hall stretching about 80ft ahead before it comes to a door. It looks nondescript.
Sep 07 19:23:38 <Mari>   "Mysterious door at the bottom of a slide hidden by a voracious acid blob. I realllly want to see what's behind this, but I probably shouldn't open it alone..."
Sep 07 19:24:09 <Kotono>   "It has to be something interesting," Yulia chirps, "Maybe we can go a little more ahead if you're curious?"
Sep 07 19:25:09 <Mari>   "Yeah, I guess." Mari walks up to the door, looking all around it, seeing if it's locked. Any way to tell anything about what's on the other side, light underneath the door or anything like that?
Sep 07 19:25:15 <Kotono>   OOC: Make spot first?
Sep 07 19:25:36 <Mari>   roll 1d20+13 eyes
Sep 07 19:25:37 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+13 eyes and gets 18." [1d20=5]
Sep 07 19:26:29 <Kotono>   Mari goes ahead about twenty feet then...whooptear! The ground beneath her gives way, like tissue paper with ice shards flying about! It tears as she plummets down! OOC: You have tumble and are falling, you can make a tumble check to shave 1d6 off of it.
Sep 07 19:26:48 <Mari>   roll 1d20+18 crapcrapcrap
Sep 07 19:26:49 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+18 crapcrapcrap and gets 30." [1d20=12]
Sep 07 19:26:58 <Kotono>   roll 4d6 owwies
Sep 07 19:26:59 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 4d6 owwies and gets 13." [4d6=1, 2, 6, 4]
Sep 07 19:28:06 <Kotono>   Mari tumbles a good 50 feet, able to make a tumbling landing to reduce the pain! But it still knocks the wind out of her! She is in a dark trench, Yulia flying down! 10ft ahead is a giant skeleton of some sort of ursine creature, lying on the ground! Ahead past is is 20ft of empty space, then the far a wall. Rungs are on the far wall, as if to climb out.
Sep 07 19:28:17 <Kotono>   "Mari, are you alright?! What happened?!" Yulia calls.
Sep 07 19:30:15 <Mari>   "I fell on my ass, what does it fucking look like? Owowowow." Mari groans and stands up, walking over to take a look at the skeleton. "I mean...sorry about that, Yulia. I'm alright and it looks like I can climb back out. I think the others could come down here safe enough if they just kept their eyes open. Go tell 'em?"
Sep 07 19:30:39 <Kotono>   It looks like a bear skeleton. Meanwhile Yulia bobs, "Okay, be careful!" she says, flying back up and away!
Sep 07 19:31:22 <Mari>   A dead bear is the best kind. Well, unless they get up and start walking around again. Mari walks over to the rungs, tests them out, climbs up if they seem sturdy.
Sep 07 19:31:30 <Kotono>   OOC: Make spot again?
Sep 07 19:31:40 <Mari>   roll 1d20+13 EYES
Sep 07 19:31:40 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+13 EYES and gets 23." [1d20=10]
Sep 07 19:32:17 <Kotono>   Mari steps forward...and 5ft past the bear she goest through the floor again, yet more paper-floor! OOC: Make tumble.
Sep 07 19:32:27 <Mari>   roll 1d20+18 OH GOD DAMMIT
Sep 07 19:32:28 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+18 OH GOD DAMMIT and gets 23." [1d20=5]
Sep 07 19:33:18 <Kotono>   OOC: Okay, also roll ref.
Sep 07 19:33:33 <Mari>   roll 1d20+16
Sep 07 19:33:34 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+16 and gets 30." [1d20=14]
Sep 07 19:33:38 <Kotono>   roll 4d6 Mari
Sep 07 19:33:39 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 4d6 Mari and gets 12." [4d6=5, 3, 3, 1]
Sep 07 19:34:08 <Kotono>   WHAM! MAri goes plummeting down! It's dark down here but Mari can see one thing - sharp icicle spikes, so many of them! With superhuman agility she twists in the air, landing on her shoulder between a pair! Somehow she lands in the needlebox unskewered, only bruised and winded!
Sep 07 19:35:41 *   Mari smacks into the floor with a grunt. Getting up after a moment, she looks around her new surroundings--not moving this time! "When I find who built this place, I am going to stab him in the crotch."
Sep 07 19:37:36 <Kotono>   It's a long, narrow pit of ice. The floor and lower walls are covered in icy spines and spikes. It looks very sharp and very dangerous down here! Above you can see that you fell through a second layer of paper-floor.
Sep 07 19:38:41 <Mari>   Not some place people were supposed to climb back out of. Bah. "Yulia? Anybody up there?" she calls up. "Watch where you're stepping if you can hear me! Also get me out of here!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sep 07 19:39:32 <Kotono>   The party uses ropes and time to get to the bottom of the slope! At the bottom is...It's bitterly cold here, even by the standards of this miserable realm. There is faint light, the hall stretching about 80ft ahead before it comes to a door. It looks nondescript. 20ft ahead there is a hole in the floor.
Sep 07 19:39:49 <Kotono>   As you come down, you can hear Mari call, "Yulia? Anybody up there?" she calls up. "Watch where you're stepping if you can hear me! Also get me out of here!" from below.
Sep 07 19:40:26 *   Kamvakua looks around to see if he can see Mari, saying something in goliath as he floats a bit off the ground.
Sep 07 19:40:33 <Knight>   "Go and get her, Kamvakua," instructs Knight, opting to remain still for the time being.
Sep 07 19:41:19 <Kotono>   Mari's voice can be heard from coming out of the hole in the floor below. No sign of her visibly.
Sep 07 19:41:46 *   Nikkolai eyes the hallway. "Traps within traps within traps? This is getting to be ridiculous. If I ever meet the architect for this pleasant little place, I'm going to set him afire." Nikkolai said in a cross tone, carefully going to the edge of the hole and peering down.
Sep 07 19:41:53 <Kamvakua>   "The rest of you stay here.  There might be more traps," He floated over to the hole, heading down it carefully until he sees Mari, then flies over to her.
Sep 07 19:42:21 <Knight>   "It doesn't seem as though it's intended for habitation."
Sep 07 19:42:21 <Kotono>   Down the pit is a bear skeleton, then another hole in the ground. Going to this one Kamvakua can see Mari down below in the needlebed of spikes.
Sep 07 19:42:27 <Kamvakua>   OOC: Fly 60, Good Manueverability.  In case it matters.
Sep 07 19:42:41 <Kotono>   "If someone's living in this place willingly, I think they're not quite right anyway," Yulia whimpers, "This is really cruel."
Sep 07 19:43:05 <Kamvakua>   "It seems like this place brings quite a bit of pain," Kamvakua looked to see if he could just safely pick Mari up without aggravating the damage.
Sep 07 19:43:18 <Mari>   "Hey Kam! Want to give me a lift or what?"
Sep 07 19:43:29 <Kotono>   Kam could with careful flying, he estimates. Mari managed to avoid the spikes thankfully.
Sep 07 19:45:31 *   Kamvakua flies over carefully, swooping Mari up in his arms and looking over her injuries.  "I'd offer a bit of relief, but my magic is drained for the day," He flew them back up to the main floor.
Sep 07 19:45:50 <Kotono>   The flight up is without incident, the party reunited.
Sep 07 19:46:58 <Mari>   "Getting out of the spike pit is enough for now, thanks. Though I've got some words for the owner of this establishment if you can find him."
Sep 07 19:47:36 <Kotono>   "There has to be something good ahead!" Yulia goes to Mari's head, resting there, "This really isn't nice, it has to be protecting something! A guantlet of traps before the legendary treasure is found!"
Sep 07 19:48:05 <Kamvakua>   "There's probably more pit traps.  While the magic holds, I'm going to fly a bit ahead," Kamvakua called to the group, flying over near the door, still holding Mari.  "Mind taking a look over the door?"
Sep 07 19:48:16 <Knight>   "Or to waste our time. Perhaps there are several false tunnels that lead to nothing."
Sep 07 19:48:22 <Nikkolai>   "There had better be *something* worth all of this trouble." Nikk agrees in a grumpy fashion.
Sep 07 19:48:29 <Adail>   "That would be the conventional logic, yes." Adail noted dryly while heading over to give Mari at least some healing.
Sep 07 19:48:31 <Kotono>   "Oh come on!" Yulia grouses, "No bard ever sings of a story like that!"
Sep 07 19:48:47 <Adail>   roll 2d8+8 2 CLWs incoming
Sep 07 19:48:47 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 2d8+8 2 CLWs incoming and gets 12." [2d8=2, 2]
Sep 07 19:49:00 <Mari>   "Yeah, well, somebody else try the next door. I mean, I'll *look* at it, but I'm pretty beat here. Somebody else can face whatever horror's on the other side."
Sep 07 19:49:17 <Knight>   "I would surely hope we do not base our actions on what would provide the best material for the bards..."
Sep 07 19:49:51 <Nikkolai>   "Indeed. If we faced anything in a bard's song, we'd all be long dead."
Sep 07 19:49:55 <Knight>   "Why, if that were true, it would be all glorious sacrifices and brutal vendettas," she continues, before frowning.
Sep 07 19:50:39 <Kotono>   Kamvakua and Mari fly over to the door. It's a stone door iced over on first inspection. OOC: Roll search, Mari.
Sep 07 19:51:04 <Mari>   roll 1d20+10
Sep 07 19:51:05 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+10  and gets 11." [1d20=1]
Sep 07 19:51:12 <Kotono>   The door is not trapped, Mari thinks.
Sep 07 19:51:24 <Mari>   "Well, I don't see anything..."
Sep 07 19:52:55 <Kamvakua>   "Alright," Kamvakua moved a bit away, testing the ground with a foot, and then landing on it to be sure.
Sep 07 19:53:07 <Kotono>   The ground just away from the door is solid.
Sep 07 19:53:30 <Mari>   "Right, well, set me down a ways back. I don't want to be close when this opens."
Sep 07 19:53:50 *   Kamvakua flies over and opens the door.
Sep 07 19:56:01 <Kotono>   The door is opened. Amazingly no great tide of death comes forth! Ahead is another hallway, fourty feet before a 15ft long gap. A pale blue light enaminates out from it, bitter cold roiling up! Past it is 20ft more, then another door.
Sep 07 19:56:19 <Mari>   roll 1d20+13 spot
Sep 07 19:56:20 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+13 spot and gets 25." [1d20=12]
Sep 07 19:57:20 <Kamvakua>   roll 1d20+12
Sep 07 19:57:23 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kamvakua rolls 1d20+12 and gets 24." [1d20=12]
Sep 07 19:59:07 <Knight>   "Adail, would you like to ride on my shoulder?" asks Knight, preparing to catch up in a straight flight towards the other end.
Sep 07 19:59:25 *   Adail nods and scrambles up.
Sep 07 20:00:28 *   Kamvakua flies over to pick up Serith, flying back and letting Mari onto his back, flying a fair bit slower as the spell struggled with the extra weight.
Sep 07 20:01:23 <Kotono>   The party is ferried over easily enough between Kam and the flying MECHAMOUNT. OOC: Everyone but Kam/Mari make spot now that you're safely over?
Sep 07 20:01:44 <Knight>   roll 1d20+1 spotting
Sep 07 20:01:44 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+1 spotting and gets 7." [1d20=6]
Sep 07 20:02:16 <Adail>   roll 1d20+6 spot
Sep 07 20:02:16 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Adail rolls 1d20+6 spot and gets 16." [1d20=10]
Sep 07 20:02:24 <Kotono>   roll 1d20+5 Yulia
Sep 07 20:02:25 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+5 Yulia and gets 7." [1d20=2]
Sep 07 20:02:38 *   Mari peers down the gap as they fly over. "Somebody really doesn't want visitors down here. Maybe we should just go back and, I dunno, find a cozy bedroom or something. Or just camp out in the hot room."
Sep 07 20:03:08 <Kotono>   roll 1d20+22
Sep 07 20:03:09 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 and gets 26." [1d20=4]
Sep 07 20:03:36 <Kamvakua>   "We should, but we're already down here.  So let's check it out before we head back."
Sep 07 20:03:40 <Kotono>   OOC: Carry on.
Sep 07 20:04:12 <Kotono>   "Let's reach the treasure first," Yulia says, "There just has to be a treasure room down here with all this!"
Sep 07 20:04:18 *   Kamvakua flies over into the new hallway and over toward the gap, looking down it.
Sep 07 20:05:53 <Kotono>   Below in the gap, about 20ft down, is a flowing river of coldfire. It goes through a hole in the walls below, flowing and emitting a paralysingly bitter chill.
Sep 07 20:06:51 *   Kamvakua flies over it quickly and checks the next door.  "Can you take a look, Mari?"
Sep 07 20:07:37 <Kotono>   Kamvakua flies to the far edge of the gap. He hits against something! The party can see cracks appear in the air ahead - as if a giant pane of glass was just cracked! You can now see the entire far edge of the pit is covered with a window of glass, ready and willing to shatter if something went barreling through it.
Sep 07 20:08:07 <Mari>   "I guess. But if--ack!"
Sep 07 20:08:48 <Knight>   "Or there could be something that will deal more injury to us than before," replies Knight, sounding increasingly edgy. "I am sure we should be departing soon. Let us complete our exploration of this path, since I suppose we are here, but not venture throughout the rest of this edifice."
Sep 07 20:09:32 <Nikkolai>   "I'm in agreement. We've wasted far too much time here as it is. I'd rather conserve our energies for the ice queen."
Sep 07 20:10:12 *   Adail nods, "I'd agree there. I wasn't aware your new mount could fly. With that, we should be able to return where we dropped in from and get back out easily enough. Though we should likely rest in the heated room first, I doubt we'll find a better opportunity for decent rest here."
Sep 07 20:11:38 <Knight>   "Yes, I thought the wings were ornamental, but somehow, this thing is able to get aloft," replies Knight, grinning. "My regards to the gnomish engineering trade. Now, shall I do something about this glass?"
Sep 07 20:12:57 <Knight>   The pedals are worked furiously, and Knight soon heads forward, ready to shatter the glassine wall with a few passes from her sword!
Sep 07 20:12:57 <Kamvakua>   "Yes."
Sep 07 20:13:34 <Kotono>   With Knight's blade and movement, the glass is shattered! It falls to the ground, broken apart! The way ahead is cleared.
Sep 07 20:13:56 *   Kamvakua flies over to get on safe ground.
Sep 07 20:14:08 *   Kamvakua looks to see what that has revealed.
Sep 07 20:14:28 <Kotono>   Twenty feet ahead is another stone door.
Sep 07 20:14:55 *   Knight begins to ferry her grounded companions to the other side of the pit. "Inspect this one for more devilry, and then we will proceed."
Sep 07 20:15:20 *   Adail eyes the door, and the area around, giving it the usual magical senses barrage.
Sep 07 20:15:28 <Mari>   "Alright, so what am I not gonna find until it's too late this time..." Mari looks around, examining every step of the floor before her as she goes, then the door.
Sep 07 20:15:29 *   Kamvakua puts down Serith, "Something is very well protected here.  What is that, the fifth trap?"
Sep 07 20:16:44 <Kotono>   OOC: Mari, make search?
Sep 07 20:16:52 <Mari>   roll 1d20+10 come ooooon
Sep 07 20:16:53 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+10 come ooooon and gets 16." [1d20=6]
Sep 07 20:16:55 <Adail>   "Hmm," Adail notes, "Magic on the door Mari. Be careful."
Sep 07 20:17:23 <Knight>   "Ah, if that is the case, then we should not all crowd together when it is opened," suggests Knight.
Sep 07 20:17:24 <Nikkolai>   "I swear, there had better be some good stuff at the end of this hallway." Nikkolai grumbles, trying to look every direction at once and be prepared for anything.
Sep 07 20:18:09 <Knight>   "Nikkolai, can you determine what sort of magic it is?" asks Knight, curiously.
Sep 07 20:18:30 *   Nikkolai shrugs. "I can try, at any rate."
Sep 07 20:18:38 <Nikkolai>   OOC: K:A, Dune?
Sep 07 20:18:48 <Mari>   "I don't see anything..." Mari says. "But I didn't see anything the last two or three times either. If somebody's opening that door, well, I don't want to be too close. Of course, I don't want to be near that gap, either." Mari heads to a corner at the end of the hallway, as far from both potential hazards as she can be in case someone opens the door and...something happens.
Sep 07 20:18:49 <Kotono>   OOC: Detect Magic and then spellcraft.
Sep 07 20:19:13 <Kotono>   OOC: So basically roll spellcraft.
Sep 07 20:19:46 <Nikkolai>   roll 1d20+19 What does the All Powerful Nikko Know?
Sep 07 20:19:46 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Nikkolai rolls 1d20+19 What does the All Powerful Nikko Know? and gets 24." [1d20=5]
Sep 07 20:22:28 *   Nikkolai winces visibly, retracting his magical senses from the door. "That is a *very* nasty trap. It's designed to paralyze the opener via electricity and then blow them across the floor and into the coldfire pit." Nikkolai pauses. "You have to admit, whoever thought this out was very thorough..."
Sep 07 20:23:02 <Kotono>   "There really has to be something good down here then," Yulia looks down at Mari, "But it's so dangerous!"
Sep 07 20:23:37 <Kamvakua>   "Knight, can you dispel it?"
Sep 07 20:23:53 <Knight>   "They had a vicious, cruel mind," notes Knight, snapping her wrist; an ethereal card appears between her fingers, and she flings it towards the door. "I cannot, but perhaps Talons can."
Sep 07 20:23:57 <Knight>   roll 1d20+11 DISPELZZZZ
Sep 07 20:23:58 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Knight rolls 1d20+11 DISPELZZZZ and gets 22." [1d20=11]
Sep 07 20:24:00 <Mari>   "You keep saying that, Yulia, but the only good thing I've seen here was the hot room!"
Sep 07 20:24:16 <Nikkolai>   "No treasure is worth our lives." Nikkolai replied, not unkindly. "Material things are worth very little when it all comes down to it."
Sep 07 20:24:19 <Kotono>   The Talons of the Deck of Many Things flares out! The magic is rent apart, destroyed!
Sep 07 20:24:39 <Kamvakua>   "Is it clear?" Kamvakua misses the mystical magic display.
Sep 07 20:24:59 <Knight>   "Easy is as easy does, says he," replies Knight, proceding towards the door and pushing it open.
Sep 07 20:25:35 <Nikkolai>   "If there's yet *another* hallway..." Nikkolai trails off in a threatening tone.
Sep 07 20:25:41 <Kotono>   Ahead is a large room. All but the very edges rise up, forming a pyramid of sorts going up 30ft. At the top you can spy several iron and stone treasure boxes, as if designed to be shown off.
Sep 07 20:26:02 <Kamvakua>   "...this is too obvious," Kamvakua frowned.
Sep 07 20:26:49 <Mari>   "Trying a little too hard this time, mysterious architect. 'Look at all this hiny treasure, bold intruder. Don't you just want to run up and grab some?'"
Sep 07 20:26:54 *   Adail looks around with his mystical senses, "Yes, yes it is."
Sep 07 20:27:32 *   Nikkolai frowns and stretches forth his senses to the room! OOC: May I roll DM and SC, Dune?
Sep 07 20:27:36 <Knight>   "Perhaps we could go check around the back before we do anything rash."
Sep 07 20:27:39 *   Adail snickers, "Invisible caltrops on the stairs. Give me a minute and I can clear them out. Or collect them, if you'd care for some invisible caltrops, Knight?"
Sep 07 20:27:42 <Kotono>   OOC: Go for it.
Sep 07 20:27:58 <Nikkolai>   roll 1d20+19 Let's see what we got here.
Sep 07 20:27:59 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Nikkolai rolls 1d20+19 Let's see what we got here. and gets 30." [1d20=11]
Sep 07 20:28:09 <Knight>   "Ah, how did you know, Adail?"
Sep 07 20:28:29 <Mari>   "Pick 'em up, Adail. Could be useful."
Sep 07 20:29:10 <Adail>   "They seem like the sort of tactical surprise you'd enjoy," he chuckles as he very carefully collects them and even more carefully puts them into his haversack(the magic should protect against being ripped apart by sharp things from the inside, yes?)
Sep 07 20:30:05 <Kotono>   OOC: Sure.
Sep 07 20:30:38 *   Kamvakua circles the pyramid, looking around the rest of the room.
Sep 07 20:30:58 *   Nikkolai frowns even more fiercely as he ascends the stairs to carefully study the iron boxes. "Fascinating. A very complex enchantment."
Sep 07 20:31:37 <Nikkolai>   "If each box is not opened in the correct order, the room's temperature could plummet drastically, damaging us even with our protection from the cold."
Sep 07 20:32:22 <Knight>   Knight counts the boxes present!
Sep 07 20:32:27 <Kotono>   The pyramid has only one set of stairs up. Nothing is unusual around it, just rising up.
Sep 07 20:32:32 <Mari>   "Sooo, any idea what the right order is?" Mari follows Nik up the stairs, since nothing horrible has happened to him yet. She looks around at the box. How many are there? Anything to indicate what the correct order might be?
Sep 07 20:32:43 <Kotono>   You can't see the entire top from here, but you can see four of them. OOC: Is Nik just going up or is the entire party or what?
Sep 07 20:32:50 <Kotono>   OOC: Okay, Mari is too so I'll line more.
Sep 07 20:32:59 <Mari>   OOC: Mari waits for Nik to go up and follows if nothing happens.
Sep 07 20:33:18 <Kotono>   Going to the top you find ten boxes up here. Three lines of three, and past them one extra box. This box is painted a dark blue. Lying on against that blue box is a scroll.
Sep 07 20:33:24 <Adail>   OOC: I assume I'm busy carefully collecting caltrops for a bit, so I'm on the stairs, not going up them.
Sep 07 20:33:51 <Kotono>   OOC: Sure.
Sep 07 20:34:16 <Nikkolai>   "Ah. A clue. If it's a derisive message from our 'host'..." Nikkolai carefully walks over and picks up the scroll, unfurling it to read.
Sep 07 20:34:42 *   Mari watches and waits. From a safe distance at the edge of the pyramid's top.
Sep 07 20:35:17 <Knight>   Knight remains at the base, armed and ready to fight or run!
Sep 07 20:35:56 <Kotono>   Written in Common you can read the following: "Hail and well met! Few have the gumption to survive and find the truth of the reward that lies past ordeal. To you who are brave, daring and able to bleed profusely without dying, I offer you these treasures. But be warned - should each chest not be properly disabled, you will regret it. Don't fail or dispel the magic, you'll regret it."
Sep 07 20:37:24 *   Nikkolai reads the missive aloud to the others. "Hmm. Well, there are no other clues that I can discern."
Sep 07 20:37:47 <Mari>   "This is a joke, right? 'Congratulations on surviving my gauntlet of deathtraps. Your reward is MORE SUFFERING.'"
Sep 07 20:38:32 <Knight>   "I suspect it is an attempt to goad us further towards our deaths, or something like that. The person who has gone to the effort of constructing this place must have done so out of security concerns, not some maddened desire to test random passers-by!"
Sep 07 20:38:36 *   Kamvakua climbs up to look over the boxes to see if there are any other hints or signs on them.
Sep 07 20:38:45 <Nikkolai>   "Such is the nature of life, Mari. Suffering is piled upon suffering." Nikkolai carefully surveys the boxes, looking for any markings, coloration, or even different size amongst them.
Sep 07 20:39:19 <Kotono>   The boxes are all identical on a casual look, besides the last blue box.
Sep 07 20:39:23 <Kamvakua>   "That doesn't sound right.  If it was just to kill us, why bother with anything but simply collapsing the way above us when over the coldfire river?"
Sep 07 20:39:50 *   Mari sighs and looks over the boxes, examining them for clues as well as traps. May as well start at one corner, top left opposite the door.
Sep 07 20:40:07 <Knight>   "Because I presume he wishes access to his goods at some later point in time, and collapsing his entire dungeon is not conductive to that purpose."
Sep 07 20:40:21 <Kotono>   OOC: Make search, Mari.
Sep 07 20:40:21 <Adail>   "Hmm," Adail muses aloud as he picks up another caltrop, "my first guess would be that this was the creator's final work. Wishing to leave whatever he had left to leave to someone who could pass his trials. Prove themselves worthy and such."
Sep 07 20:41:06 <Mari>   roll 1d20+10 it really looks like I need more ranks in this
Sep 07 20:41:07 <Hatbot>   
ACTION --> "Mari rolls 1d20+10 it really looks like I need more ranks in this and gets 28." [1d20=18]
Sep 07 20:41:17 <Kotono>   The chest is trapped, Mari finds. She thinks she could attempt to disable it.
Sep 07 20:42:16 <Mari>   "Trapped, of course. Big shock there. I might be able to get past the trap, buuuut how do we even know which is the right one to start with? Anyone? Ideas?"
Sep 07 20:42:50 <Kamvakua>   "Well, are they all trapped?" Kamvakua wondered.
Sep 07 20:42:55 <Kamvakua>   "Maybe there's a hint in the traps?"
Sep 07 20:42:57 <Nikkolai>   "Hmm." Nikkolai muses aloud. "I believe it's no accident that the boxes are aligned in a geometrical, mathematical pattern."
Sep 07 20:43:11 <Kamvakua>   "A...what?" Kamvakua blinked at the strange words.
Sep 07 20:43:14 <Mari>   "Dunno, let's find out." Mari moves on the next one, and...well, all of them in turn, really.
Sep 07 20:43:15 <Knight>   Knight shrugs. "This is outside of my realm of experience. I think we should leave and forget about it."
Sep 07 20:43:35 <Kotono>   Mari can find that each chest is trapped - it's not hard to notice when she knows what to look for now.
Sep 07 20:43:53 <Kotono>   "Eeew, patterns," Yulia sneezes, "Patterns are boring and predictable!"
Sep 07 20:44:05 <Mari>   "Yep, every one of them."
Sep 07 20:44:15 <Mari>   "And I'd welcome a pattern here if it kept us from dying, Yulia."
Sep 07 20:44:39 <Knight>   "Were you not predicting a pattern of events here that would follow from the cliches of bards? 'Bypass the guardians, receive treasure' is a storytelling pattern in itself, you know."
Sep 07 20:45:05 <Kotono>   "But each bard's tale is unique!" Yulia retorts "Eachone is it's own fairy tale!"
Sep 07 20:46:14 *   Adail finishes his collecting and moves up, looking over the chests himself, looking for any physical differences between them. Any diference he could spot could give a hint as to which one would be first
Sep 07 20:46:20 <Nikkolai>   "I say open one from the very middle. We can gauge the effects from there."
Sep 07 20:46:44 <Knight>   "Ah, do you think so? Well, let us consider this set of chests. It is a three-by-three grid, but what is the path to opening? What is the key to success- you cannot be serious! You were just speaking of how the whole room would plunge into extreme cold if it is done incorrectly..."
Sep 07 20:46:57 <Kotono>   The chests look identical besides teh blue tenth one. Not a single difference to them.
Sep 07 20:47:34 <Kotono>   "Um," Yulia raises her hand here, "Not to interrupt, but I think I have an idea too."
Sep 07 20:48:03 <Kamvakua>   "Do we start or end with the blue chest?  If we start...it may show the rest," Kamvakua muses, "What do you think, Yulia?"
Sep 07 20:48:03 *   Nikkolai shrugs. "It's time to roll the dice, Knight. Are you not a gambler? I cannot divine any difference between the boxes. I fail to see how--" Nikkolai looks over at Yulia in surprise. "Yes, bright one? What is it?"
Sep 07 20:48:05 <Mari>   "I don't think there are any clues," Mari says. "If we really want to try, well, I guess it's up to me...Huh, Yulia?"
Sep 07 20:48:43 <Kotono>   "I can go into the chests, right?" she speaks up, "Maybe we can find a clue from the contents?"
Sep 07 20:49:01 <Mari>   "Are you sure that's safe? I mean, it's great if it would work, but..."
Sep 07 20:49:11 <Knight>   "We have no need to be here, nor do I find the risk acceptable, not when we have so much we must still do," replies Knight. "If we must proceed, let's bank on certainty and what knowledge we can find. See, perhaps this could be of use."
Sep 07 20:49:56 <Nikkolai>   "You could indeed, Yulia. But...there is some considerable risk to yourself. Are you sure you're up to it?"
Sep 07 20:50:23 <Knight>   "Ah, and now, suddenly, we are risk-adverse."
Sep 07 20:50:30 <Kotono>   "I am curious, but it is dangerous...what do all of you think?" Yulia looks around, "I think Knight has a point, but it's such a waste if we go this far and walk away without anything!"
Sep 07 20:51:02 <Nikkolai>   "We've come this far. I think it would be a shame if we had to turn back."
Sep 07 20:51:05 <Kamvakua>   "It would be a waste.  Let's try it.  The rest of us should stand back though.  Just in case of the worst."
Sep 07 20:51:18 <Mari>   "Is there anything we can do to help prevent Yulia from coming to harm if this goes bad? Anyone know any spells to protect from cold, at the least?"
Sep 07 20:51:42 <Knight>   "I am going to wait outside," replies Knight, throwing her hands up in disgust and leaving the chamber.
Sep 07 20:52:11 <Nikkolai>   "All I have are spells to ward against the worst effect of the planes...and it is already affecting us all." Nikkolai withdraws to the edge of the platform, anxiously watching Yulia.
Sep 07 20:52:52 <Adail>   "Out of the room, Nik. I'll remain inside, in range of Close Wounds in case of the worst, but the rest of you need to wait outside."
Sep 07 20:53:18 *   Kamvakua waits outside.
Sep 07 20:53:42 *   Nikkolai nods reluctantly, following the others.
Sep 07 20:54:02 <Mari>   "Alright, if you insist, just...Yulia, don't die, alright? You watch her, Adail!" Mari hustles back down the pyramid to just outside the door.
Sep 07 20:54:39 *   Nikkolai casts resist energy on Yulia before he retreats, giving her some protection from the cold!
Sep 07 20:54:55 <Kotono>   With Nikkolai's magic Yulia is ready! The party retreats out and back save for Adail and Yulia! Yulia bobs in the air, "I'm ready, are you?"
Sep 07 20:55:01 *   Adail nods.
Sep 07 20:55:14 <Kotono>   "Middle one, right?"
Sep 07 20:56:10 <Adail>   "Try that first, yes."
Sep 07 20:56:39 <Kotono>   Yulia flies into the middle box! She comes back out, "It's full of coins," she reports. "I'm okay, nothing happened.
Sep 07 20:57:03 <Mari>   "Check all of them?" Mari calls up.
Sep 07 20:57:08 <Adail>   "What kind of coins?"
Sep 07 20:57:53 <Knight>   "Mari, did the trap mechanism trigger when the box itself is opened?"
Sep 07 20:58:24 <Mari>   "Uh, I'd assume so. That's how they usually work. If Yulia flying in didn't trigger one, it's probably safe for her to keep checking them."
Sep 07 20:58:35 <Kotono>   "Um, gold ones,"  Yulia says. "Thick gold ones."
Sep 07 20:58:49 *   Adail nods, "Alright, try the others then."
Sep 07 20:59:31 <Knight>   "Is it possible for her to, you know, take them out with her?"
Sep 07 21:00:22 <Kotono>   Yulia flies to the left-center one and pops back out! "It's a cloak or a cape with a spider pattern. It looks silky and soft."
Sep 07 21:01:23 <Mari>   "Spider cloak, huh? Reminds me of being drow back on Earth..."
Sep 07 21:01:50 <Kamvakua>   "The Mari of a Thousand Faces."
Sep 07 21:02:23 <Kotono>   Yulia then goes to the rightmost-cente rand looks in, "Huh, it's like a deck of playing or tarot cards. Lots of really pretty designs," Yulia reports.
Sep 07 21:03:50 <Mari>   "Cards, Knight! That change your mind about anything?"
Sep 07 21:04:11 <Kotono>   Yulia goes to the upper-right one from there, peeking in. "More coins," she reports, "Same as the center one."
Sep 07 21:04:15 <Knight>   Knight blinks for a moment. "Er, no! They're not my siblings. Why should *I* care? Eh? Huh?"
Sep 07 21:04:31 <Mari>   "What? You can still gamble with them."
Sep 07 21:04:56 <Kotono>   "Maybe there'll be a cute male Knight card in there you can date," Yulia's voice reaches, caroling from above.
Sep 07 21:07:00 *   Adail chuckles, "And the next?" he prompts
Sep 07 21:07:09 <Kotono>   Yulia goes to the upper-center one and...
Sep 07 21:07:31 <Kotono>   roll 1d20+6
Sep 07 21:07:31 <Serith>   Kotono roll for Serith < 8 > [d20=2]
Sep 07 21:07:46 <Kotono>   Yulia comes back up, "It's a statue of something...um, a Xorn I think. A small statue."
Sep 07 21:08:34 <Mari>   "Ewwww, xorns."
Sep 07 21:08:41 <Knight>   "There's something strange about this place," remarks Knight. "Everything in these chests so far has had something to do with the events in our past."
Sep 07 21:08:50 <Knight>   "Coins, cards, a references to the drow, and now these xorns..."
Sep 07 21:09:01 <Kamvakua>   "...Really?" Kamvakua blinked, having not really picked up on that.
Sep 07 21:09:17 <Knight>   "Well, I could be overthinking it."
Sep 07 21:09:17 <Kotono>   After that she goes to the left-upper chest and checks it! She comes back out, "More coins," she reports, going to the bottom row! The bottom left, popping back out. "More coins," she reports. She goes to the bottom-center, popping out again. "A greataxe," she says, and then to the ninth, "More coins."
Sep 07 21:09:17 <Mari>   "That's crazy talk. Like the architect knew who was coming or something?"
Sep 07 21:09:33 <Knight>   "No, but don't you recall how this place could freeze our own thoughts solid?"
Sep 07 21:09:50 <Knight>   "Perhaps what is in the chest is determined by who visits this place."
Sep 07 21:10:10 <Mari>   "That was only the river area, right? Since, you know, my goon squad disappeared when we left."
Sep 07 21:10:37 <Kotono>   :Maybe the magic's deeper than that," Yulia floats halfway down, looking back and forth, "Maybe all of this means something then or nothing?"
Sep 07 21:10:52 <Knight>   "Who knows? They seem familiar, is what I am saying. Certainly, our path has been filled with coins, and these other articles may have all had relevance to our actions so far. I couldn't guess as to what it means, however."
Sep 07 21:11:43 <Adail>   "The greataxe as well," Adail nods, "Didn't that knight that possessed Nikkolai and Mari teach them how to use a greataxe?"
Sep 07 21:11:49 <Mari>   "Yeah, but if each box corresponded to one of us or something...well, there's only four boxes with special things in them, so that doesn't match up."
Sep 07 21:11:56 <Mari>   "Yeah, Adail, it did. Huh."
Sep 07 21:12:10 <Kotono>   "There is a tenth box," Yulia chimes in.
Sep 07 21:12:22 <Adail>   "Perhaps...we're supposed to open them in chronological order of our adventures?" Adail suggests the only thing he can really think of.
Sep 07 21:12:26 <Mari>   "Yeah, there is...Do you mind checking it?"
Sep 07 21:12:41 <Mari>   "Maybe so, Adail, but where do the coins come in?"
Sep 07 21:12:49 <Knight>   "I thought that might be the case. The coins are rather nondescript, however. Perhaps they can be ignored, or it doesn't matter when they are opened..."
Sep 07 21:12:50 <Kotono>   Yulia flies into the blue box! She comes out, frowning. "It's empty," she calls.
Sep 07 21:13:38 <Adail>   "Perhaps that box contains nothing until the puzzle has been solved?"
Sep 07 21:13:50 <Knight>   "Let's see. In order of appearance, it would be the cards, then the xorn, then the cloak, and then the greataxe."
Sep 07 21:14:14 <Mari>   "Maybe, Adail. And...Chronological order, huh? Well, I guess all this stuff in similar to something that happened on Earth. But we found the card last there..."
Sep 07 21:14:50 <Knight>   "I didn't consider that angle. I was considering myself an event... ugh."
Sep 07 21:15:14 <Knight>   "Yulia, did you see what kind of designs were on the cards?"
Sep 07 21:15:52 <Kotono>   "I couldn't tell, they were face down," Yulia apologizes. "All I saw was floor and box."
Sep 07 21:16:13 <Adail>   "Though...I hope the coin boxes don't count in as part of that. I can't imagine we could know which coin box to open when."
Sep 07 21:17:08 <Mari>   "If we really don't have any ideas, I can try bypassing the traps...It's just, you know, I'm not really at my best after those falls. A little healing maybe, and if Nik's got some spell that keeps the cold off better than this dress's magic does...I could give it a shot."
Sep 07 21:17:36 *   Adail walks over and heals Mari a bit more, "I don't have much left, but here you are."
Sep 07 21:17:39 <Kotono>   Yulia flies over, "Maybe there is a puzzle, but um..." she thinks, "Do we think we know it or we should trust in Mari or what? All of the chest treasures looked really nice."
Sep 07 21:17:48 <Adail>   roll 2d8+4 CMW
Sep 07 21:17:50 <Serith>   Adail roll for Serith < 17 > [d8=5,8]
Sep 07 21:18:14 <Knight>   "The mechanism is quite complex. Do you think you can do it, Mari? It is all interlocked... and perhaps the blue chest may be intended to materialize some kind of treasure only if it is properly solved. Argh, wizards..."
Sep 07 21:19:38 <Kotono>   "If it makes you feel any better, I have faith in all of you," Yulia calls, "Surely we can beat this puzzle too, right? Or at least not get horribly maimed again?"
Sep 07 21:19:54 <Knight>   "Will this door close if the trap is triggered?" asks Knight, glancing at Mari and Nikkolai and pointing towards the path they took inside.
Sep 07 21:20:02 <Kotono>   Nikkolai pauses and casts Resistance to Cold on Mari. OOC: Cold res 20.
Sep 07 21:20:17 <Kamvakua>   "We tend not to lose body parts.  Often anyway..." Kamvakua deadpanned.
Sep 07 21:20:44 <Kotono>   Nikkolai shrugs.
Sep 07 21:21:17 <Adail>   "Hmm. Everyone but myself and Mari should wait outside, Knight, if it does close the door, use Gem to open it back up by force?" Adail suggests?
Sep 07 21:21:28 <Mari>   "Not that I could tell, Knight." Mari sighs, walks up the pyramid. "Guess I'll get on with it. I'll start with the xorn box unless anyone's got better ideas." (OOC: also using last daily amulet charge)
Sep 07 21:22:12 <Knight>   "I don't like this, but it should not be impossible to escape should something go wrong," replies Knight, flexing her wrist.
Sep 07 21:22:41 <Mari>   "You can say you told us so later. Or not if we're dead I guess." Mari shrugs, gets out her tools and starts to work on the box.
Sep 07 21:22:56 <Kotono>   OOC: Disable device.
Sep 07 21:23:05 *   Adail stays in Close Wounds range of Mari, tries to usher everyone else out.
Sep 07 21:23:13 <Mari>   roll 1d20+16 disable device, suddenly I wish I had more ranks
Sep 07 21:23:14 <Serith>   Mari roll for Serith < 24 > [d20=8]
Sep 07 21:24:33 *   NeremWorld has quit (Quit: )
Sep 07 21:24:40 <Kotono>   Mari fiddles with the trap...fiddles...she doesn't fail or succeed. No success but nothing untold was tripped, leaving her to try again if sh ewants.
Sep 07 21:26:14 *   Mari tries again, slowly and deliberately. (OOC: taking ten for 26, does it work?)
Sep 07 21:26:26 <Kotono>   With grace, patience and skill MAri pops the trap off! It's disabled!
Sep 07 21:27:39 <Adail>   "And now for the moment of truth..."
Sep 07 21:28:05 *   Mari breathes out. "Okay. I can do this. Lemme get the traps first, then we'll open something? If they're all the same, it's just a matter of time. Hope you guys don't mind waiting a bit..." (OOC: I am going to methodically move around the square taking ten for each. Lame, I know, but not taking unnecessary risks that could get me a face full of shrapnel nine times.)
Sep 07 21:29:10 <Adail>   "Go in order then," Adail suggests, "Xorn to Drow to Axe to Card. Then the coins."
Sep 07 21:29:57 *   Mari nods and proceeds to the spider cloak box, then the greataxe, then the cards. If nothing untoward happens, she'll start on the coin boxes. Center first, then clokwise from the top left.
Sep 07 21:30:15 <Kotono>   Thus all nine boxes are undone in order! The blue chest remains, but the other nine are disabled.
Sep 07 21:30:43 <Knight>   "Maybe the coins should be ignored," suggets Knight. "After they're done, Yulia could check the blue box once again."
Sep 07 21:30:58 <Knight>   "How many would you say were in each box, anyway?"
Sep 07 21:31:13 <Kotono>   "A lot," Yulia says, "Piles of coins."
Sep 07 21:32:01 <Adail>   "That sounds reasonable, yes."
Sep 07 21:32:30 <Kotono>   "So now what?" Yulia asks.
Sep 07 21:32:43 <Mari>   "Alright, gonna try opening one, then." Mari moves to the xorn box. "If this doesn't do it, I think maybe alternating between coins and other stuff maybe?"
Sep 07 21:33:10 <Adail>   "Perhaps, if it gives us a second chance. Still," Adail smiles and shrugs, "Go for it."
Sep 07 21:33:16 <Knight>   "Open the four boxes in the order as before," replies Knight. "Maybe... Wait, perhaps that is how we should do it from the start? There are more coins than things..."
Sep 07 21:33:38 <Knight>   "If we were to alternate, then to open all of the coins, we would need to start with one, then switch to an item, then coins, and so forth."
Sep 07 21:34:37 <Mari>   "Yeah...yeah, that makes some sense. I'm gonna start with the center square, then. That's what you do in tic-tac-toe, right? Then it's xorn time."
Sep 07 21:34:47 *   Mari opens the center box!
Sep 07 21:35:03 <Kotono>   The center box is opened! You can see coins, nothing unfortold happening.
Sep 07 21:35:33 *   Mari looks around, relaxes. "So far, so good." Xorn box is opened next!
Sep 07 21:35:47 <Adail>   "Leave things in thier boxes for now, I suggest. Don't take anything until we've opened them all."
Sep 07 21:38:12 <Kotono>   The xorn box is opened! The statue of the xorn is carved from heavy, dense stone. It floats into the air as Mari's skin turns the same stony color as the Xorn! "...you saw the Xorns...weighted them in the balance and found them lacking." The voice comes from nowhere you can identify, as Mari's skin returns to normal.
Sep 07 21:39:47 <Adail>   "Wait!" Adail suddenly thinks, "The spider cloak could well be representative of the abyss, the spider demon and that battle on the web. Much more likely then Mari's short time as a false drow I think. Open that one last, not the cards."
Sep 07 21:40:13 <Mari>   "We sure did," Mari breathes. "Alright, more coins now..." Mari picks the top left one.
Sep 07 21:40:32 <Kotono>   More coins are revealed! Nothing untold happens.
Sep 07 21:41:10 <Knight>   "But then the cards would have gone first," replies Knight, frowning. "I agreed with the hypothesis that this is tied to our time in the earth plane. I do agree that the abyss was a greater event..."
Sep 07 21:42:08 <Mari>   "I dunno, Adail. I think we had it right the first time. And I'm the one taking the risks here, so--well, no, you're in the room with me too...Ah, enough babbling." Mari opens the spider box now.
Sep 07 21:42:37 *   Adail shrugs, "Hmm, a small event to focus on there, unless this is about Mari specifically then. But very well, I'll bow to the majority here."
Sep 07 21:43:33 <Kotono>   The spiderbox is opened! From withint he cloak rises up, Mari's skin becoming that of the drow! "...You became the drow...weighted them in the balance and found them lacking." The voice again comes from nowhere, but you hear a moment's dead, dry chuckle. Mari's skin then transforms back safely.
Sep 07 21:44:30 <Mari>   "Yeah, that desribes a lot of people we've met." Mari keeps moving counterclockwise, hitting the bottom left box of coins.
Sep 07 21:44:41 <Kotono>   The box of coins opens! Nothing horrible happens.
Sep 07 21:45:00 <Mari>   "Halfway there!" Mari opens the box with the axe next.
Sep 07 21:46:12 <Kotono>   The axe opens! Mari's body becomes ghostly as the voice intones, "Met the spirit of a restless hero...weighted her in the balance and found her lacking." This time the voice comes from just behind Mari, dry but not raspy.
Sep 07 21:46:19 <Kotono>   A moment later the ghostliness fades.
Sep 07 21:46:52 <Mari>   "I think she disliked us even more, though..." Mari turns, glances behind her with some mild paranoia before shrugging and opening the bottom right box of coins.
Sep 07 21:46:59 *   Adail looks around with See Invis and Detect Magic, waiting to see where the next voice comes from...
Sep 07 21:47:04 <Kotono>   The coins are revealed! No great tragedy occurs.
Sep 07 21:47:40 <Mari>   "Okay, time for Knight's distant cousins..." Mari opens the box with the cards.
Sep 07 21:47:48 <Adail>   roll 1d20+8 See invis
Sep 07 21:47:50 <Serith>   Adail roll for Serith < 14 > [d20=6]
Sep 07 21:47:54 <Knight>   "I do not find them lacking, you should know."
Sep 07 21:47:54 <Adail>   roll 1d20+8 DM
Sep 07 21:47:55 <Serith>   Adail roll for Serith < 26 > [d20=18]
Sep 07 21:48:41 <Kotono>   The box is opened! The cards fly up, floating! Mari becomes a card with her image on it's face. "Gem....she was found lacking in the balance..but what of Knight?" The voice enquires, "What of the mortals she travels with...?"
Sep 07 21:49:26 <Kotono>   A moment later Mari returns to her normal, three dimensional form.
Sep 07 21:49:38 <Knight>   "I don't need to answer that."
Sep 07 21:50:02 *   Adail winces a touch at the sheer power of the magical aura, but murmers, "We are all lacking. None of us are perfect. Not even the Great Lion is perfect."
Sep 07 21:50:03 <Mari>   "Whufl...That was awful. I was all flat and stuff." Mari shakes her head, glad to be her normal form again. "Alright, last one..." Time to open the final box of coins.
Sep 07 21:53:24 <Kotono>   The last box of coins opens! At this all the boxes are open! The tenth box pops open! From it emerges a creature. It is symmetrical and a man, yet an asymmetrical woman in equal parts. Half it's face is beautiful and without flaw, the other half is fiendish and miserable. One hand holds a sprig-branch, full of life. The other holds a withered branch, rotting away. Above her head shines a small
Sep 07 21:53:24 <Kotono>   but luminous shape, as if the moon were shrunken down to shine over her head.
Sep 07 21:54:11 <Mari>   "Uh...hi."
Sep 07 21:54:25 <Knight>   "Hah? Balance? Moon?" asks Knight, blinking for a moment, and then dismounting to hustle up the pyramid next to Mari. "How are you here?!"
Sep 07 21:55:38 <Kotono>   "This trifle serves well enough for a test." Balance answers as the Moon does not, "The remnants of long ago, sorted into a form suitable enough. That death has not claimed you for being wanting is a good sign."
Sep 07 21:57:52 <Knight>   "Of course," replies Knight, offhandedly. "My senses gauged you far away. I still wonder if you are truly present, or if this is not some illusion coaxed from from the unconscious mind."
Sep 07 21:59:09 <Kotono>   "Such definintions mean little. I hold Moon's power to alter reality to my whim," Balance intones, it's eyes shut, but open. In those eyes you can see plain, endless pupils. "With Moon's power, my desires and reality are interchangeable."
Sep 07 21:59:24 *   Adail chuckles, "Balance? Moon? Is this one creature or two we see before us, Knight?"
Sep 07 22:01:14 <Knight>   "It is two," replies Knight. "Moon holds the power to grant wishes. Balance forces people to question their ideals. But brother, I do not appreciate being tested," she adds, frowning. "From a stranger it is tolerable, but I would have thought you knew me well enough. Or is it the others you set to trial?"
Sep 07 22:02:06 <Adail>   "I wonder if one named Balance does not constantly test even themself?" Adail wonders aloud at that thought.
Sep 07 22:02:45 <Kotono>   "None are above my judgment." Balance speaks in a loud but subtle tone, each word savored slow as it's intoned out rapidly. "To think, you all came so willingly into a random deathtrap. For most that would find you wanting, fleeing away from your duty. But your survival speaks that a judgment is not so clear cut, sister."
Sep 07 22:03:20 <Kotono>   "It was a very alluring deathtrap," Yulia mutters, her ball-light tinting red.
Sep 07 22:05:23 <Knight>   "We have enough power to survive dangerous exploration, in an endless search for advantages." Knight extends a hand. "I have no intentions of tarrying on our quests any longer. What of you, Balance? And what of Moon? Are you seeking out the others? With her power, it could be accomplished swiftly."
Sep 07 22:09:10 <Kotono>   "I am, to see what is found wanting in the balance. Fate found the Deck wanting, splitting it apart. Shall it be found that way again, never to unite? Shall it return, or shall it serve another purpose?" This Balance asks aloud, "Moon serves my desires now and for all time, as Gem, Star and Talons serve yours. The power...sweet. Can you not accomplish your own purpose better subsuming the others?"
Sep 07 22:10:07 *   Adail eyes Balance, then Knight in turn, waiting to see her reaction to that...
Sep 07 22:13:59 <Knight>   "I don't have any purposes but to reunite our family. What is right is what accomplishes that. What is wrong is what degrades that," replies Knight, biting her lip. "I have no master now, you see. So everything else is.. is just a passing moment, or a dream, like all the other times."
Sep 07 22:16:00 <Kotono>   "Is it?" Balance asks, "You are the master now. The other three you hold are your slaves. You use the cards to your whim, as any mortal before did."
Sep 07 22:18:53 <Knight>   "I only use them to further that goal!" protests Knight, balling up her fist. "When all of us are assembled, only then can we decide upon the future- and you know there will be no future unless we develop souls, or we congregate once more. You sound like Rogue, with all this talk of masters and slaves..."
Sep 07 22:20:29 <Kotono>   "How many have held the Deck and said those words? To use it to further a goal, like any other tool or servant?" Balance asks, it's eyes on Knight. "You have met Rogue? He is still independant then, for I do not sense him here."
Sep 07 22:22:19 <Knight>   "But surely you can agree that this is a worthwhile goal. Gem, Talons and Star all do," replies Knight, pursing her lips. "Rogue walks free, yes. He seeks a soul of his own, regardless of what it will cost the rest of us."
Sep 07 22:23:29 <Kotono>   "Then come to me," Balance holds a hand out, "I will judge your convictions. It is the simplest way to end this."
Sep 07 22:26:58 <Knight>   "Very well. I understand your judgement is fair, above all other things," replies Knight, stepping up. "I will be with you again shortly, everyone," she adds, turning back to the others. "Don't doubt me, as I don't doubt you."
Sep 07 22:27:28 <Kotono>   Knight steps forward, her hand taken by Balance! "Let us see," He says, gazing into Knight! (More)
Sep 07 22:27:32 *   Adail nods towards Knight, "Above and before all else, we are your freinds, and we stand with you on this."
Sep 07 22:30:38 <Kotono>   Balance nods and takes a step back. "You have held everything in the balance..and as you have found it wanting, you have changed to better yourself. It's eyes sweep - To Adail briefly with a nod, then Kamvakua. That nets another nod, pants appearing on him with the barest moment's whimsy. Then it's eyes go on Mari. They stare there, staring.
Sep 07 22:31:45 <Mari>   Mari doesn't like that gaze much. "What? What are you looking at?"
Sep 07 22:33:07 <Kotono>   Balance turns away from Knight, approaching Mari. It says not a word, open/close eyes relentlessly staring into her. "Both have found you wanting in the balance, but yet you stagger along."
Sep 07 22:34:33 <Mari>   "Yeah, well, it's not really my goal in life to make you happy. I don't much like being judged by other people, especially ones that ramble too much about masters and slaves."
Sep 07 22:36:46 <Kotono>   Balance turns away from Mari and to Knight. It approaches Knight once more, "Before anything else, Mari must be held in the balance."
Sep 07 22:37:12 <Mari>   "What? What does that mean? Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here!"
Sep 07 22:37:40 <Kamvakua>   "What are you saying?" Kamvakua eyed.  "She follows her own path, in its weaving way."
Sep 07 22:38:13 <Kotono>   "What she believes and what is true has changed. Held in that balance, she has been found wanting," Balance declares, "The proper balance must be made."
Sep 07 22:39:01 <Knight>   "What do you intend to do, Balance? Her ideology, and her goals- even her problem are all similar to my own. She's a valuable companion. I do not wish this to be jeaprodized."
Sep 07 22:39:06 <Mari>   "I don't get it," Mari marches after the strange being. "If you want something from me, tell ME."
Sep 07 22:40:17 <Kotono>   The eyes of Balance go back towards Mari, "You know my nature. Those that find me are found wanting and changed in heart and soul. There is no choice; as you must fight and reunite the deck, I must balance."
Sep 07 22:41:35 <Mari>   "I don't understand what that means! For me, I mean. You can't just make me into somebody I'm not because you don't like what you see, if that's what you're talking about."
Sep 07 22:41:59 <Knight>   "Ah, I understand. In that case, that makes you an enemy to me, Balance," replies Knight. "You spoke of my convictions earlier? Well, I cannot have you impinge my chances of success, as you would surely do should Mari be changed."
Sep 07 22:42:57 <Kotono>   Balance turns to Knight, "You would bring us to emnity over a mortal?" It's head cocks to the side, "Would you risk your goals all for them? Make me your enemy and your goal is forever impossible."
Sep 07 22:43:09 <Adail>   "She is young yet, she has time to grow and find her own balance. Or must your judgement be leveled this very moment?" Adail softly speaks up.
Sep 07 22:43:21 <Mari>   "Knight, what's it talking about? I don't even understand what it wants from me!"
Sep 07 22:44:25 <Knight>   "Balance seeks to invert your convictions," replies Knight. "There is nothing in life that is perfect. It will pose to you a question so damning that everything you thought you knew will be shown to be wrong. Forever after, you would walk as the opposite to whom you are."
Sep 07 22:45:07 <Mari>   "What? Just one question? There's no way it could be just that simple."
Sep 07 22:45:31 <Kotono>   "It is," Balance says, then to Knight, "What say you, sister?"
Sep 07 22:46:53 <Kamvakua>   "There is more in the planes than can be conceived in our minds.  Mari without her whimsy is not Mari.  Much like Adail without his mercy.  Or Knight without her warfare.  To take it from her would be to tear her path away from her."
Sep 07 22:47:11 <Knight>   "You haven't lived in this world long enough, I see. We're logical beings, you and I, so when we see something that is impossible, we nod and agree to that. Unfortunately, I've been amongst mortals too long," replies Knight, reaching for her sword. "Impossible's just a word, after all. Become one with me, Balance, or leave. But I shan't allow you to touch Mari."
Sep 07 22:48:20 <Mari>   "I really don't think this is possible, though. One question? Come on! You talk like I don't have any idea who I am!"
Sep 07 22:48:41 <Adail>   "One potion could do it, why not one question?" Adail remarks dryly.
Sep 07 22:48:56 <Mari>   "You're not helping, Adail!"
Sep 07 22:49:19 <Mari>   "Besides I got over that! That's the point!"
Sep 07 22:49:32 <Kotono>   To this Balance smiles and frowns. "Outstanding...even you, Knight." Balance steps back and back, "Your ultimate conviction I felt...even now, found wanting! To choose a mortal over one of us! Each of them speaks to protect you and the others, as do you. You chase the family you lost, but you have another here.""
Sep 07 22:50:00 <Adail>   "Probably not, no. But you really need to stop underestimating the power of immortal magics. However," he inclines his head, "that is a conversation for another time."
Sep 07 22:50:06 <Knight>   "You have two faces, Balance. I suppose I do, too."
Sep 07 22:50:33 <Kamvakua>   "Mari, don't test one like this.  The powers of fate can be strong indeed.  There are sometimes where it is better not to venture....was that simply another test?" Kamvakua's brow furrowed, not liking this card one bit.
Sep 07 22:51:17 <Adail>   "Does one named Balance do anything but test?"
Sep 07 22:51:50 <Kotono>   "Yes, yes it was a test. The result is illuminating." Balance continues to speak, so fast and yet a ponderous, thoughtful speech. "She made the choice against her inner convictions, finding even them wanting. I will not fight you Knight - it is not my nature to fight, but to change and balance. Surely you know that."
Sep 07 22:52:12 <Kamvakua>   "They might.  It was never a strong point of mine.  Philosophy," He sounded displeased at it.
Sep 07 22:53:20 <Knight>   "I do. I think I have learned something, as well," replies Knight, letting her sword drop back into it's sheathe. "I take it you will not join with me, then. If that is so, then I only ask that once I have assembled the others, you would make yourself known. We will need an arbitrator."
Sep 07 22:55:12 <Kotono>   "'twould be a simple matter to end this." Balance continues, "Mari to be another Moon, the eternal fancy and desire. Adail as Balance, always seeking in his mind and heart. But that would go against your conviction you just found..." Balance chuckles, "When you find the others, we shall meet where you were born - Limbo."
Sep 07 22:56:14 <Knight>   "It's not a life a mortal would enjoy," replies Knight, managing a grin herself. "Very well. Take care of Moon. I shall see you when the journey's done."
Sep 07 22:56:35 *   Mari just glares at the creature. Nobody talking about her and making plans for her like she's an object gets Mari's approval!
Sep 07 22:57:39 <Adail>   "Tell me, Balance," Adail asks before he leaves, "What do you see when you look in a mirror? Do you find even yourself wanting?"
Sep 07 22:58:49 <Kotono>   Balance hesitates, a moment's grin himself. "It is good you have changed, Knight. Very few are held in the balance and truly found adequate. Mortals, immortals...they all strive and change, reaching ahead. That is the lesson I have learned in this short time of true life. In the last chest...my gift. Not to you Knight, but to those you chose." That gets a pause and a curious look to Adail, "As
Sep 07 22:58:49 <Kotono>   long as I uphold my purpose, I am always found adequate."
Sep 07 22:59:39 *   Adail chuckles slightly, "I see."
Sep 07 23:03:16 <Mari>   "So, uh, I have a minor question: did you make this whole underground lair thing, or just find it? Because, if there's a bed in this complex somewhere, I'd really like to know about it right about now."
Sep 07 23:04:01 <Knight>   "A gift to them is a gift to me, in many ways."
Sep 07 23:04:02 <Kotono>   "It's the remnants of a dwarven conqurerer. Go back to the warm room, you will find it safe, and the river of coldfire now flows no more," Balance says. Then it steps away and is gone, leaving the treasures behind!