I guess that is it til next week,as the GM does not do week ends. Have a good one folks.

Rations( food and drink)
 Torches
 2xropes
 Grapple hook if available

Itylus waited with his bow ready. The atmosphere of tension and nervosism that surrounded the party was almost palpable. All of Itylus' instincts screamed for him to get away from the unnatural darkness in front of him. However the hunter didn't move and waited with his bow ready to fire at the first sign of movement . After  a few minutes, it became obvious that whatever was inside the administrative building would not be  so easily baited near the door. However, the wait had given Itylus enough time to think of a plan. He spoke in a hushed tone."It seems like whatever it is inside, it won't come to us so easily... And I think we can all agree that going in there blindly feels like a quick way to meet Hades' ferryman and should be our last resort."

He paused for a moment, then continued. "I have an idea... Lets do what any experienced hunter does when it's hunting a dangerous creature in its lair - lets smoke it out. We can build a big pyre with the broken furniture in the other two buildings and then Dysis could use her Air elementalism to channel the smoke inside of the building." He looked at the lost in thought elementalist. "Do you think you can do that Dysis?"

The noble entered the structure and was suddenly haunted by visions of long gone members of his family and friends. He knew something was not right with this, and muttered a prayer to Athena to beg her divine grace. The supplication seemed to have done the trick as the ghostly visions evaporated. All that remained was a ruin of a room,and a robed figure in the corner.

 The noble advanced toward the robed figure, his sword and shield at the ready. " Athena Eternal." The age old battle cry of the city of Thena was spoken by Lysandros.

I forgot to mention that there are actually some optional rules for alternative ways to use elementalist power's. I think they are still a bit harsh because they still require elementalist to use power points for things like a Fire elementalist lighting a torch, but they are still interesting. You can find them in the file calle "M&M Miscellanea" on this page of Mazes and Minotaurs site (http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/classics.html)

On the ground in front of them were two skeletal corpses - perhaps the prior envoys?

Seems like our party was a little too much for that poor Hooded Terror to handle. Sorry about that Dysis, you did not even got a chance to fight!


Edit: There is something I have wanted to confirm with the MM for some time now. We have not found a single sign of any of the previous parties sent by the House of Dimas to the mines, have we?

He said the two bodies on the floor in this room could be signs just before we all became distracted fighting the horror:

Day 729

- We received an envoy from Thena demanding we turn over our silver ore for the past month. They were furious at the amount. They demanded to talk to Gregorius so I let him in the building but he hasn't come back out. The rest went in later and haven't come out either. It has been eight hours now. Guess they left. No response to my knock so I locked the door and I am joining the rest of the men on a crew to work on one of the new passages. We have to find new silver if we are going to satisfy the consortium.

Correct. It is fair to say that those groups probably ignored the buildings and went straight to the mines.

After sorting out the gear, he looks more closely at the map. "So...how do we want to do this? It seems obvious where we should start," he says gestruing to the unfnished part of the map "But I'm not an expert on tracking or hunting things underground."

That is actually a great question. Do Itylus tracking abilities work on underground caves? Or only on the wilderness?

Seems like our party was a little too much for that poor Hooded Terror to handle.

"Where were the wounds on the body? Front or back?" he asked, his mind contemplating the body before switching to the voices and Lysandros' comments. "Advancing on the voices makes sense...assuming we are hearing something. They said it was faint, and we know these things can trick the mind with pictures...why couldn't they do the same with sound?"

Dysis is immediately aware whenever she makes some noise,

Hey, you know that spell I cast adds to stealth, which is normally concealment and moving quietly.   Don't think the rules separate the two.     I'm very happy with the results, but I want to know for future castings?  'Cause that was part of why I chose it here, where silence was important.     Rationally, I agree, shadows shouldn't make you quieter.   Buy, it is magic...

Also, the cost of the spell...elemental magic's got only three levels, unlike other sorts, where you've got 1 - 6.     And, I think the costs are 2, 4, 6, for elemental spells.   When you look at the power of the level 3 spells, especially, it makes sense.   Happy to only pay 1 point, but I think it's 2.

The Elementalist is enveloped in flickering shadows.
This allows him to add twice his Mastery to all his
stealth rolls as well as to the target number of all
detection rolls made against him AND to his EDC
against all missile attacks, since he is hard to focus
on; the shadows also provide a more limited amount
of defensive cover against melee attacks (+1 to
EDC). This power will not work if the magician is
standing in bright daylight. It lasts for a number of
minutes equal to the magician’s Mastery

roll 1D20 and add the
character’s Danger Evasion modifier.
Stealth rolls are always made against a target
number equal to the character’s Encumbrance total

The Elementalist is enveloped in flickering shadows. This allows him to add twice his Mastery to all his stealth rolls as well as to the target number of all detection rolls made against him AND to his EDC against all missile attacks, since he is hard to focus on; the shadows also provide a more limited amount of defensive cover against melee attacks (+1 to EDC). This power will not work if the magician is standing in bright daylight. It lasts for a number of minutes equal to the magician’s Mastery

The bonus you got on your stealth roll ended up being the +5 for Danger Evasion, plus your mastery score, also +5, for a total of +10

Not sure if I could cast anything else, like Talons, though...  is it possible to have more than one spell going at a time?     Once the duration begins to tick, is concentration still needed, or can you let one spell run, and cast another?

Unless otherwise specified, using magic normally
requires one full battle round of full concentration,
during which no other action can be performed,
including movement. If the magician’s concentration
is disrupted, the process will be aborted. Otherwise,
the power will take effect at the end of the ongoing
battle round. If two enemy magicians are using their
magical powers against one another, these powers
will take effect simultaneously

The whirlwind lasts for a number of rounds equal to
the Elementalist’s Mastery. It can move at a speed
equal to (Mastery x 10’) per round, which requires
the magician’s full concentration

Moving the sphere requires the Elementalist’s full
concentration, up to a number of rounds equal to
the Elementalist’s Mastery bonus.

The center of the eruption cannot be more than 20’
away from the magician himself, who will be
affected too. Since calling the eruption requires his
full concentration, the magician automatically takes
2D6 damage on the first round (no saving roll
allowed) but will suffer no further damage thereafter.

The Lyrist must enter a state of prophetic trance,
during which he improvises with his harp and voice.
This state of supreme inspiration requires absolute
concentration and lasts for one minute (10 rounds),
at the end of which the Lyrist spends 6 Power points
and receives a prophetic illumination. Unlike a
Priest’s Divine Vision, this illumination does not take
the form of a verbal prediction which can be shared
with others but as a deep, subconscious insight that
will find its true meaning when Fate manifests itself.

In the case of powers which require a magician
maintain his concentration over several rounds
(such as the various Songs
have to play for a whole minute before their magic
takes effect)

The belt is separate from casting spells, so for example if during the battle with the hooded horror if Dysis cast an air spell the belt would still have been active as its power(s) trigger under certain circumstances. Given her darkness powers (which per rule books Should normally be restricted to NPC) I have warned her that she would need to be careful when using them while wearing the belt.

So....4 targets and a cage...I'm thinking Dysis flash, Itylus focus on left (A), Arthanos go for B, Lysandros go for C? We then all gank D when available?

I mean, if I'm out front, like "Ta da! Here's the spell caster!" that makes it far easier for the enemy to make sure I don't get the chance to cast anything. I'm not clear the thinking here.

Just a question, what does Gyros mean? I seem to recall there is a greek dish with that name haha

Thanks for the update MM, things sure are starting to look spicy! Just to confirm, I cannot shoot eyeball D now since the priest is between me and it right?

This power has the usual range of (Mastery x 10’); it
may be used on a group, up to a number of beings
equal to the magician’s Mastery bonus, as long as
all intended targets are within range. Elementalists
who have Air as their primary element double their
Mastery for purposes of calculating the number of
targets they can affect.

The same:
https://freshoffthegrid.com/wp...s-kebab-recipe-6.jpg Tasty stuff!
And rhymes conveniently with "heroes!"

I don't think the rules speak to that. In a melee situation yes, I think it would apply because he'd be standing directly in your way, but in a missile situation I think you can certainly try to shoot past the priest to hit the floating eye. Your character is advanced enough that you don't have to worry about fumbles (being a luck greater than 13, as per rulebook) but if you missed your shot I might consider the possibility of you hitting somebody else by accident and make a roll to see if that happens.

So you should be able to affect up to 10 targets provided they are within range. I'll have to think a little bit about how this works in an narrative but I think right now that because an individual or a group of people up to that specific number can be affected is that the talons acts like self-contained mini-tornadoes that hit a specific person's body with such intensity that they might not be able to do anything effectively for a few seconds (or however long a round lasts in real time) vs. you casting the gale fury spell which I would read as, and I think recall writing as being far more destructive and indiscriminate which could hit friends as well as foes alike if they get in the way of the winds.

.....damn that is an unpleasant situation.... Lysandros, I'm thinking of heading towards C. If you and me can knock it out, it may open D up enough for Itylus to drop it. I'm assuming we want to minimize hurting the other people? Your thoughts?

Sorry for the delay, the real world grabbed me up.

 Gane question: Can Lysandros use his shield to strike to either stun and/or dislodge one of the enthralled, so he can get at an eyeball?

& Movement
A character can use standard movement before entering melee. This is the only case in which a character can move and make a melee attack in the same round. Once locked in melee, a character cannot move away from his opponents unless he manages to disengage first (see Retreat below).

Bashing
This special attack can only be attempted by a character armed with a battle weapon. It cannot be used against Large or Gigantic opponents. It may be combined with a Charge into Battle.
The character may elect to make a bashing attack instead of his usual melee attack, using his armament to push back (or even knock down) his opponent – rather than to wound him. A character who attempts a bashing attack gains a special +2 attack bonus if he has a shield.
If the attack roll succeeds, the defender takes no damage but is knocked down. He will then have to spend an entire battle round getting up, suffering a penalty of -4 to his melee EDC while prone.

(Congress in Finland sounds infinitely more exciting then my past few days anyway)

Finland must be amazing - are the northern lights on pretty good display?

The suggested setting for most Mazes & Minotaurs campaigns set in the world of Mythika is the early years of the fourth century of the Age of Heroes, some 300-330 years after the Days of Wrath. The fourth century of the Heroic Age is a time of great wonders and high adventure, as well as a time of conflict. No less than three major wars have been fought during the last century, one of them is still going on and a fourth one seems well on its way... It is also a time of uncertainty, where the Land of the Three Cities and its civilization is threatened by new menaces and old enemies.

...Eventually, after what Dysis estimates to be about an hour underground, and feeling like the passageway never ends, Itylus halts the group as they find a finds a large wooden sign that had been affixed to the cavern wall that reads:

*DANGER - LOOSE GROUND AHEAD*

Indeed, Itylus observes this as true, and as his gingerly steps forward he finds wet slippery rocks underneath him such that he could easily lose his footing on were he not careful. It would make sense that somebody working down here the first time may have had an unfortunate slip and fall, as indicated by the journals they had read previously. The loose ground appears now to lead towards a large man-sized hole leading further into the earth. Looking down the hole Itylus sees only a faint flicking of light - perhaps a lantern or two had been lit further on ahead.

The group pauses for a moment, both to listen to any unusual sounds as well as to catch their breath and orient themselves, but they hear nothing out of the ordinary, just dripping noises from the stalactites well above their heads. Additional examination of the hole shows a hook that had been pounded into the earth by a hammer that likely would have held rope to allow a person to safely descend. Affixing their own rope, the party descends one by one at least 20 feet in height.

Now descended further into the earth, they find somewhat wider passageways, which would allow them to stand side-by-side (though perhaps slightly too close). Lanterns are also affixed to the walls, most have been burnt out but a few appear to be burning to allow some slight light down here. Fortunately, their torches were still burning allowing them to continue forward.

They reach another crossroads, but it appears to now be somewhat inconsistent with the journals. (...)

At this opening in the mine, they find the passage split into three directions: They could turn NORTH, they could continue moving WEST, or they could head SOUTH...

Sorcerers and Elementalists recover their Power
points by sleeping. Each two full hours of sleep will
restore a number of Power points equal to the
character’s level.

Some supernatural Creatures have a Wisdom
award. NPC magicians are worth 100 Wisdom
points per level. Unlike Glory awards for defeating
enemies (see above), these Wisdom awards do not
have to be divided between characters.

In reply to Maze Master (msg # 191):

That's interesting... I'd not seen it, before.

Normally, spell workers progress more slowly than physical classes, so I find that a bit odd.   Yet, not arguing.    ;) 

I'm going to keep one of those eyes, pickle it in a jar, and continue to contemplate it, to see if I can get more!       (j/k)

I'm going to keep one of those eyes, pickle it in a jar, and continue to contemplate it, to see if I can get more! (j/k)

The art of wizarding applies to any spell caster.  Always arrive precisely when you mean to.

The spider that was upon the wall and  had attacked his companion, was now Lysandros's target. He thrst his sword into the carapace of the thing.


21:32, Today: Lysandros rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  sword damage.

21:31, Today: Lysandros rolled 23 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 15.  2nd attack.

21:30, Today: Lysandros rolled 13 using 1d20+8 with rolls of 5.  1st attack.

I got this stuff for the house, mostly because the name made me laugh --  full thumbs up, works great!       If only our intrepid party had some handy...

I won't be playing.

As we finish up the end of December in the next few weeks I do expect things to slow on RPOL - feel free to post as you like or are able to and should I feel we have enough to do a game post on then I will update the thread as needed and as I can.

In this game generally the next game post or two from me will bring us to a place where we can formally introduce Dionae, who has been waiting patiently in the wings.

The Smith nods in response to Itylus' inquiry:

"A boon I can grant you. If you will help me."

He continues: "Minerals are needed for the forge. Were blocked by Humans like you. Now blocked by Floating Eyes. Blocked by Daughters of Arachne. Open the passages and protection from Undead I will provide."

As not everyone has their status displayed if there are any other characters with visible wounds Tancea will heal them during the down time, I just need to know how many there are.

That will depend.  Did I get enough sleep during our down time to regain my spell points?   Because I had spent most of what I have.    And, definitely not marching off into this, w/o being reloaded.  Although:

Well lets keep going my take just getting into Hades realm and back will honor Hecate since they hate each other.

Might it be possible to know what my character's cut was from the mines expedition? He has purchases to make.

Certainly. I actually need to take a little bit of time to update the party treasure thread and look back over the Chapter 5 thread to see what else you guys found.

But, the contract for return of the artifact was 100 silver each. They got the better part of the bargain, but you guys were broke. :-)

Anyway, the 100 silver per person applies to everybody in the group, even those not originally part of the contact (Dionae and Tancea). The additional reward since you've returned is basically free room and board, plenty of food, other pleasures, basically being completely pampered.