[OOC: suggested soundtrack: Piano Concerto no. 2, op. 18, by Sergei Rachmaninoff]

You realize that this must be the fabled Temple of Hamaskar, that you were looking for. The temperature inside is relatively mild, a more than welcome relief from the outside conditions.
The underground structure is all painstakingly carved in white marble stone with delicate pink and sky-blue veins, above your heads you notice intricate ogival arcades and fantastic bas-relief decoration on all surfaces, resembling a long lost, detailed landscape with forgotten animals crawling all over. In some places, dull frescoes ornate the walls, depicting intricate florals. The whole temple’s passages are lit by an azure glow that emanates from tiny, leaf-shaped crystals dangling from the ceiling’s recesses.

You are overcome by awe.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:57, Fri 07 Sept 2018.

Storm looks around in awe, having never seen such wonders before.

As you enter the first underground room, you immediately notice a wonderful statue, entirely carved from a single block of crystal, that lies on a quartz dais which occupies the north-eastern corner of the room. It represents a sitting female Elf with three arms and three faces. One of her hands holds a kind of ritual weapon, similar to a trident.
You entered on the southwest corner of the square room and there are exits going north and east.

OOC: you need a SKILL (Lore) test (with various modifiers) to guess who the statue may represent.

Robustous followed the others after begrudgingly admitting it was fine carving, for an elf. He stops at the statue in the first room but is at a lost as to know what it may represent.

-

04:57, Today: Secret Roll: Garl Ligoosh rolled 5 using 2d6.  Lore roll.

Garl is taken aback as he realizes that the statue represents Tuculcha, the High White Elves’ Goddess of Life. The ritual weapon, similar to a trident, bears the ancient elven name of Lanovar. Her three faces symbolize childhood, adulthood and old age.

[OOC: please Robustous and Storm, make a SKILL (Awareness) roll while Garl is full of wonder from realizing who the statue represents.]

In reply to The Director (msg # 7):

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 4 using 2d6.  Skill = 8.

-

Rolls 8 for awareness

[OOC: Robustous and Storn realize that the trident (or lanovar for the learned) can be removed from the statue and used as a two-handed weapon, if desired.]

Storm asks his companion if he wants the weapon. Being used to fighting with two swords, he dislikes two handed weapons.

“Be careful about the trident.  This statue represents a goddess who is very sacred to the High White Elves... removing it might not be a good idea.  Besides, there could be a trap.”
This message was last edited by the player at 10:33, Sat 08 Sept 2018.

Robustous gets closer to the statue and looks it over for traps or trip wires.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 9 using 2d6.  Skill + Trap Knowledge = 9.

"Looks clear to me if you want the thing."


-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:18, Wed 12 Sept 2018.

Robustous can't spot any trap.

While the others decide what to do about the statue, Garl takes a look around the chamber.  Does he see anything potentially threatening, or otherwise interesting?

Storm looks around, having nothing to do.

“Careful where you step,” Garl suggests.  “In a place such as this, you can’t be too careful.”

Apart of the stunning beauty of the stature and the decoration, you can't notice anything particularly relevant. You entered through one way and there are two more ways out, one going north and the other going east. Both corridors, after a while, end with a door.

In reply to The Director (msg # 18):

Storm suggests going north.

"Yes lets go North." Robustous will follow the others.

As you knew, at the end of the north corridor there is a closed door. Now you are in front of it.

Storm asks if anyone wants to check for traps?

"I guess that will be me."

Robustous examined the door in front og him for any signs of a trap.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 5 using 2d6.  Trap knowledge + Skill = 9.


-

As he’s not the muscle of the party, Garl quietly moves to the back.  He glances behind them to make sure nothing is sneaking up on them.

Robustous can't spot any trap.

In reply to The Director (msg # 25):

Robustous will try the door, taking a peek inside if the door opens.

-

On the other side of the door there is a staircase going down for a while still towards north, then a corridor going east and then, after few steps, south, where there are more steps going down towards an archway.
on the north side of the bit of the corridor going east, there is a closed door.

“Shall we descend, gentlemen?  We have nothing to lose but our lives.”

"Lets do it," Storm replies.

[OOC: do you choose the door going north or the archway going south?]

“I would hate to leave an unopened door behind us.”  Garl offers to attempt to listen at the door.

Garls can't hear the slightest sound.

Storm offers to open the door, motioning his friends to be ready.

Robustous lifts his axe and waits....

Garl returns quietly to the back of the party.  He readies himself.

Storm opens the door and looks in first before entering.

The floor in this small room is completely covered with a fine, cinder-like dust. There’s a shovel leaning against a wall and a mirror hanging on the opposite wall.

Robustous follows the others in, checking the ceiling of the room as he does. Then he goes and has a look at the shovel.

-

Storm walks towards the shovel, picks it up and walks towards the mirror. He does not look into it. He throws a coin at the mirror.

You enter in the room and you realize that the layer of cinder is very thick. The shovel looks like a normal shovel. The coin thrown by Storm without looking at the mirror rembounds as any normal coin would do in that situation and ends up in the soft layer of cinder.

Garl does not enter the room just yet.  “We should try to clear away some of this dust and get a look at the floor.  I suspect a trap.  In fact, this could be all that remains of the last overconfident group of adventurers who stumbled across this room.”

"You may be right. I have no wish to be a pile of dust. Let's be careful," Storm says.

The dwarf helps remove some of the cinder on the floor.

As you move inside the room to clear the dust, you can't avoid staring for an instant at the mirror and it explode in a mighty shower of blinding-light meteors that will bathe the entire room!
[OOC: please roll 1d6]

Robustous tries to drop to the floor once the explosion happens.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 4 using 1d6.


-

Storm tries to drop as fast as he can.

OOC:
19:24, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 5 using 1d6.

After the magic explosion, you check if you had any damage.
[Private to Garl Ligoosh: You feel very good: it was a pleasurable experience for you. The magic must have been something for annihilating undeads or aggressive races.]
[Private to Robustous Clovetrue: The light was so shining! Your eyes ache. Please test your LUCK.]
[Private to Stormrider Sureheart: You feel like the light passed right through your body, taking away part of your soul! Deduct one point from your initial and current SKILL.]
You notice that Robustous, on the floor, is clutching a small leather pouch that was under the cider before. He must have found it while removing the cinder on the floor or when he dived.
The mirror is still perfectly intact as previously.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:45, Fri 21 Sept 2018.

Storm cries in agony and lying on the floor, throws his weapon against the mirror.

OOC:' can I make a dodge or luck test to avoid effect?

Robustous grabs for his eyes and has something in his hand. He, he can't see...

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 2 using 2d6.  Luck = 9.


-

Garl is careful not to enter the room.  In fact, he takes a step to the side of the door in order to avoid any further magical mayhem.

He then casts Animate on the rope in his backpack, commanding it to enter the room, slither up the wall and take down the mirror.

19:15, Today: Secret Roll: Garl Ligoosh rolled 4 using 2d6.  Cast Animate.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Thu 20 Sept 2018.

Storm throws his weapon against the mirror, and the weapon rembounds with a metallic sound. [Private to Stormrider Sureheart: OOC: Right now you can't do anything to avoid your damage.]
Robustous rubs his eyes and after few seconds, he can see again.
Garl casts his magic on a rope and brings down the mirror, until it lays with the reflective side on the floor. [Private to Garl Ligoosh: You have a bad hunch about the action you just did. Somehow, you feel your skin crawling.]

Blinking profusely to make sure it was real, the dwarf sat on the floor with a thump and looks at what was in his hand.

-

In your hands there is a small leather pouch, all covered in caked cinder.

In reply to The Director (msg # 53):

Robustous will look inside the bag and take out whatever is in it.

-

You find one single Gold Crown.

Garl orders the rope to return to him and then puts it in his backback.  “Not sure I should have done that.”

Message to Robustous.
[Private to Robustous Clovetrue: You are not entirely sure about it, but you have a strange hunch about this Gold Crown.]

In reply to The Director (msg # 57):

Robustous holds up the gold crown and adds "Drinks are on me tonight boys." He outs it back in the Bag and then into his pocket before giving his eyes a last rub as he looks for a way out of the room.


-

You progress to the archway at the end of the twisting tunnel and you find that the access to the room beyond the archway is controlled by a huge crystal slab with a golden dial just below, that can be turned to point to numbers between 0 and 20 (now it is pointing to 0). Carved in the same slab there is an Elfic inscription that says: "What is the total number of triangles in the figure below?"

Garl tells them what the inscription says.  “I think the answer is thirteen.  Does anybody disagree?  I freely admit that math is not my best subject.”

I could count 15

“There are nine small triangles.  Then three, composed of four of the smaller triangles each.  Then the big triangle as a whole gives one more.  Where do you see another two?”

look at it from the left and right side

[OOC: I'll let you sort this out between yourselves :) ]

Aren’t you counting the big triangle three times?

yeah u r right lolx

Robustous lights up his pipe with a long match from it's tin. He looks at the riddle and then further off in the distance as he puffs out a large cloud of smoke.

-

[OOC: what is your action, at the end?]

Storm inputs the answer as '13'

Garl anxiously awaits the result.

The slab gently slides away and lets you pass, while the golden dial automatically goes back to zero.
You enter a huge, hexagonal room and at the centre of it there is a spiral staircase going up to a platform where a wonderful staff of white, intricately carved wood is visible from dedicated wall brakets.
Not far from it is a frightening creature climbing the stairs.

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:19, Sun 30 Sept 2018.

If he can, Storm will rush to grab the staff

Robustous moves to engage the thing climbing the stairs. Sword in hand he advances on the creature ready to swing when he gets a a chance.


-

That bipedal thingy is on the staircase, between you and the staff, and just a few steps away from the staff.

Garl casts Mirror Selves.

04:04, Today: Secret Roll: Garl Ligoosh rolled 6 using 2d6.  Cast Mirror Selves.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:05, Tue 02 Oct 2018.

In reply to The Director (msg # 74):

Storm charges up and attacks if he can.

[Private to GM: TULSIDAS
SKILL 10
STAMINA 14 (3)
ATTACKS 3

Roll   1 2 3 4 5 6 7+
Nadzag 2 2 3 3 3 3 3, +1 damage roll
1. Dagger attack.
2. Grip of the Grave, a spell which causes the loss of 1 Initial SKILL point; the black energy bolt may be avoided with a successful Test of LUCK
3. Dagger attack
4. Vampire Touch, a chilling touch which drains one dice STAMINA points from the victim and adds the same amount to Tulsidas’s STAMINA score; in all other respects, it takes place as a normal attack
5. Dagger attack
6. Blindness, a spell which blinds the victim for 1d6 rounds; the spell may be resisted with a successful Test of LUCK

Staff of Hamaskar
Staff + 1 MAGIC, free Light spell, Indestructible
This wonderful Staff comes with a bane: no other weapon, whether magical or mundane, may be ever used or carried by the Staff’s wielder. The Staff of Hamaskar is said to be the only key that can open the magically sealed doors to the legendary Library of Skelo.
Nadzag
Dagger + 1 SKILL, +1 Attacks, +1 Damage
Forged in the hellish Pits of Zagora, this Obsidian Dagger bestows many magical gifts on its owner. But on the seventh day from its first use, its wielder will become a sentient Undead! Such was the fate of Tulsidas himself...]
The horrible creature, seeing Storm and Robustous climbing the stairs, hurries up towards the Staff and grabs it triumphantly! Soon after grabbing the Staff, he winces and, trembling, throws away a wiked obsian dagger, that rests at its feet. Right after thrwing this weapon, the creature seems to get back in control, happily.

Garl casts his magic and finally Storm and Robustous get at melee range.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:15, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

In reply to The Director (msg # 77):

Robustous swings at the beast with his axe.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 17 using 2d6+10.  Attack.
Robustous Clovetrue rolled 1 using 1d6. = 3 STA Damage.

-

OOC:
11:21, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 5 using 1d6.  Damage 2.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 4 using 1d6.  Damage 1.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 19 using 2d6+09.  Attack 2.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 14 using 2d6+09.  Attack 1.

Garl rushes up behind his companions. He casts Ironhand on Robustous.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:51, Sun 07 Oct 2018.

[Private to GM:
11:08, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 4 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 3.
11:07, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 6 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 2.
11:07, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 1 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 1.
11:06, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 20 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 3.
11:06, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 15 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 2.
11:06, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 12 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 1.]
The horrible, humanoid creature moves that fast that it can react to the attacks of both Robustous and Storm.
Against Storm's first attack, the creature tries parrying with the newly acquired staff, but Storm has a better timing and manages to hit! However, when Storm tries hitting with his second blade, the creature stares straight in Storm eyes and then releases bright rays of light: Storm's eyes hurt terribly! [Private to Stormrider Sureheart: Please test your LUCK to avoid being blinded! You also lose one point of SKILL (and the test of LUCK can't prevent this)]
As Robustous attacks, the creature tries swinging the staff around to deflect Robustous' weapon, but the move is clumsy and it drops the staff! This way it is easy for Robustous to hit!

Robustous continues he assault and spins the head of his axe into the creature again. Or at least he tries to. At the very least he tries to keep the creature away from the staff.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 15 using 2d6+10.  Attack.
Robustous Clovetrue rolled 2 using 1d6. = 3 STA Damage.


-

Storm covers the eyes and dives for the staff.

OOC If that is not feasible, he attacks.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 2 using 1d6.  damage.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 6 using 1d6.  damage.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 16 using 2d6+08.  attack.
11:20, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 15 using 2d6+08.  Attack.
11:19, Today: Secret Roll: Stormrider Sureheart rolled 7 using 2d6.  luck test.

Garl casts Slip (cantrip) on their foe.

[Private to GM: 19:40, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 1 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 3.
19:40, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 4 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 2.
19:40, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 5 using 1d6.  Tulsidas attack option 1.
19:39, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 15 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 3.
19:39, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 15 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 2.
19:39, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 15 using 2d6+10.  Tulsidas attack 1.
19:38, Today: Secret Roll: The Director rolled 7 using 2d6.  Tulsidas LUCK roll.]
As the horrible humanoid has no weapon in hand, Robustous manages to hit him!
Stormrider manages to grab the staff and immediately he starts trembling. [Private to Stormrider Sureheart: For the next round you will be busy dropping all your weapons apart from the Staff. You don't want them anymore, now that the Staff is in your hands and you can't resist the urge to drop all your other weapons.]
Garl casts successfully his cantrip, but can't see any effect.

Storm without reason starts divesting his twin swords. He grasps the staff and attacks the beast,

OOC: Does the staff have any power?

"Do you yield ?" Andor asks before hitting him again if there is no answer.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 18 using 2d6+10.  Attack.
Robustous Clovetrue rolled 4 using 1d6. = 3 STA Damage.


-

[OOC: of course the Staff have powers! You just don't know which powers yet... :)
By the way, you will be able to attack next round: on this round you just drop your weapons.]

Storm will attack with the staff next round or see if he can work the staff.

Garl casts Ironhand on Storm.

Robustous attack manages to pass, although barely, and connects with the horrible creature.
Storm feels an unbelievable surge of power.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:34, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

The thing was not going to give up so Robustous swung again.

Robustous Clovetrue rolled 16 using 2d6+10.  Attack.
Robustous Clovetrue rolled 3 using 1d6. = s STA Damage.

[OOC: I'm going to use these rolls:

Robustous and Storm hit very hard the horrible creature, that falls to the ground in a thunderstorm of dark energies, and you swear you can actually wretched souls of undeads being released!
After some time that you feel was too long for your very soul to bear, it is all quiet. On the floor there is just a handful of ash, quickly dispersed.

Robustous steps forward and uses his axe to sift through what is left of the beast. He will check over any of its possessions should anything be left.

-

The only leftovers are the Staff, that is now in Storm's hands, and the black knife that it dropped right after the beginning of the encounter.

Storm tries to use the staff and sees if he can use its power.

You can feel its overwhelming power, but you can't understand exactly how to use it. You are a fighter rather than an expert in magic.

Robustous moves to the black knife to have a closer look before searching the rest of the room and checking any exits.

-

The wicked dagger is made of obsidian and it radiates evil magic.
Looking around, it looks like there are no other exits from the room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:48, Wed 17 Oct 2018.

Garl examines carefully the Staff in Sorm's hands, although he doesn't seem very keen on that. After a minute he can recognize it as the Staff of Hamaskar, the objective of your quest!

[OOC: Staff of Hamaskar
Staff + 1 MAGIC, free Light spell, Indestructible
This wonderful Staff comes with a bane: no other weapon, whether magical or mundane, may be ever used or carried by the Staff’s wielder. The Staff of Hamaskar is said to be the only key that can open the magically sealed doors to the legendary Library of Skelo.]

Then, Garl examines for a while the obsidian knife, before touching it with the tip of his finger. He suddenly flinches! Eventually, he recognized the ungodly weapon.

[OOC: Nadzag
Dagger + 1 SKILL, +1 Attacks, +1 Damage
Forged in the hellish Pits of Zagora, this Obsidian Dagger bestows many magical gifts on its owner. But on the seventh day from its first use, its wielder will become a sentient Undead! Such was the fate of the humanoid that was wielding it when you entered this room...]

Storm has no need for the staff and is willing to give it up. He prefers to fight with twin weapons.

Garl will wield the staff, if nobody objects.

Storm offers to trade weapons with Garl.

"Right so now what ?" Robustous wipes his axe clean on whatever is available.

-

On reading carefully storm don't want the dagger. He is happy with his twin blades.

Your adventure continues here: Link back to this game