OOC: The Nexus is the junction between the three bridges. You just came from there. You've been trying to get into the Portal Control Centre tower. I know, Nexus does sound cooler. :)


Gurgun crossed the remaining stretch of bridge, but the shardcaster had no more surprises for them. Standing amidst its shattered remains, he tried the door into the portal control tower. It was locked.

Balrok will check the door for traps, then attempt to smash it in!

What is that, a strength check?  I'm still raging, so that would be d20+5?

Just in case that's right, here are three attempts.

17:11, Today: Balrok rolled 23 using 1d20+5. Bust door 3!.
17:11, Today: Balrok rolled 6 using 1d20+5. Bust door 2!.
17:11, Today: Balrok rolled 18 using 1d20+5. Bust door!.

If that doesn't work, Balrok could go back to Muley and get his portable battering ram. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:13, Tue 25 Jan 2011.

Gurgun tries searching for a lock, but doesn't really know what to look for.

OOC: Looking for traps is probably the kind of thing you can't do while raging. Though attacking them almost certainly is. :) (Ignore my rolls in the diceroller, for some reason I was thinking you were trying to break it.)

I NPCed Jorn since his player is usually only available on weekends.

---

In a wild impatience, Balrok seized the sliding glass doors, pushed them inwards and forcing his fingers into the gap, trying to pull them apart. Most of the doors in this place had worked the same way, but on automatic. Here, some stubborn and powerful force kept them resolutely closed. Balrok pulled until his fingers slipped out, then tried again, but if anything the door now seemed more closed than before.

There was no lock, no handle, no keyhole.

Jorn watched their efforts, and nodded in understand. "Leave it, that door'll never open ta us by pullin' alone. 'Tis magic'ly sealed. Fortunately, we 'ave a key..." [Jorn NPCed. Int 16, Spellcraft 31 - Arcane Lock]

He rummaged around in his backpack, then drew out the two platinum rods with the topaz gem tips. "At least, I hope these'll work. They're called 'control keys' and this 'ere is the 'portal control tower'..." He looked at the two rods suspiciously. "Who wants ta do tha honours?" He held the two platinum rods out. "And no, don't use 'em ta bash or jimmy tha door. Jus' touch 'em to it."

Gurgun; reverting to his normal size, holds out his hands. Gurgun will do it, others might want to stay back.

"What fun is dat," Balrok grumbles.  But he stands aside for Gurgun.

Gurgun takes the keys and presses them against the doors.

The doors slid open, showing a short corridor ending in a small circular room, a lot smaller than the surrounding tower. And completely featureless, with no doors out.

"Well then. This 'ere could either be a portal, or a trap," grinned the dwarf, "though me thinks it be the former. Not point putting such a big guardian in front of a trap, eh? Right! Home at last!"

The wizard stepped into the corridor, Flit perched on his shoulder and he slowly made his way across.

Gurgun advances slowly, his senses on the lookout for the unexpected.

OOC: Spot/Listen 22, search 14

Gurgun stepped into the small room. Nothing happened, nothing was there. But the ceiling was higher than expected - he looked up and up, and found himself at the bottom of a shaft 80 feet high. And a cluster of cloudy shapes was fast descending.


OOC: The clouds' initiative is 26 if you want to try to do something.

What did you do the with key rods?

Still holding them.

Something approaches fast! Gurgun warns the others and takes a step back into the corridor.

Several little storm-clouds tumbled out of the shaft, whipped into shape by spiraling winds around them. By some trick of their shape, each seemed to have a slash of a mouth and two sunken eyes.

Though Gurgun stepped back in alarm, the little clouds were faster, and followed quickly. One darted forward to inspect the platinum sceptres he still carried, and seemed satisfied. It and the rest of the clouds moved to the walls, and as they came to flank him, he felt a gentle tugging at his clothes, as they tried to lift him into the air...


OOC: Please give me your total weights: your body weight, plus equipment and treasure, etc.
There are 8 clouds. Touch attacks range from 6 to 19 (2 hit), Grapple checks -1 to 17 (see diceroller for exact rolls). They're not being aggressive however, as far as you can tell. ;)

140 lb weight, 130 lb gear.

P.S. - Is Balrok's mule with us?  I have no idea how much mules weigh.

Gurgun weighs about 200 pounds, gear and all.

Three of the clouds clustered around Gurgun, and with a wobbling motion, they lifted him into the air. Then they carried him smoothly through the air back into the base of the shaft, clearly intending to lift him up through it.

It took four of them to lift Balrok and all his armour and weapons, and they nearly dropped him once or twice. But they got the dwarf moving, slowly, after Gurgun.

One cloud remained, and buffeted Slove half-heartedly, but the elf was a little heavy to manage. It settled down and waited.


OOC: Muley was left at the mercenary camp, not being eaten by orcs. ;)
Roll Knowledge (the Planes) DC 12 to ID the clouds as air elementals.

Basically, it's an elevator. :)

Balrok grumbles loudly at being forced to fly at all, especially under the power of air elementals -- truly suspicious creatures.  But unwilling to be left out of the hunt for treasure and adventure, he will follow Gurgun up the elevator.

Jorn initially drew up his chain in response, thinking it was another attack. Seeing the odd cloud though, the dwarf relaxed, smiling as he shook his head.

"Typical elven magi..."

08:49, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 31 using 1d20+11. Knowledge (The Planes).

Gurgun looks slightly amused as he's being carried along.

It was an unusual method of transportation, but it was effective, and Gurgun and Balrok were lifted up the shaft at a surprising speed. Up, up, up, to 50, 60, 70 feet or more, and it was a long way down. At some point after it was too late, they had to wonder if the elementals would choose to simply let them go...

But then they were at the top, and a short corridor extended before them, ending in a small room. The glass walls here gave off a diffuse blue glow.

The elementals placed their cargo gently on the floor, then flew down to fetch Jorn and Slove.

Jorn and Slove hovered down to the landing, and the party was safely gathered on the second level. Duladora followed close behind, taking notes on the curious elemental elevator.

The short corridor opened into an antechamber, with corridors coming off at oblique angles to the left and right. Beside each was a statue of opaque white glass. The one on the left depicted an elderly elven man in long, ornate robes, with a kind and sagely expression. The one on the right was a young elven woman, with piercing eyes, in elven chain and armed with bow and arrow.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:30, Sat 12 Feb 2011.

Gurgun looks left and right, but this place feels too alien for him and he struggles to try and understand the meaning of the statues and how to operate the portal; if indeed it is here.

OOC: Search 13, spot 21

Jorn looks at the pair of statues, trying to recall anything mentioned about them in the library, then attempts to search their auras for secrets;

[Detect Magic + Knowledge (History

17:26, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 7 using 1d20+4. Knowledge (History. ]

They didn't radiate any magic. The statues meant little to any of them, not even Slove, but they meant a lot to Duladora, who followed up by the air elemental shaft.

"I know this one, every elf in Aglarond does. Elven history." she said, quite pleased, and pointed between the two statues. "That's Gamogan," she said of the sagely man on the left, "And that's Teraff," for the fierce woman on the right.

"Gamogan was a kind and wise counselor to the ancient star elf kings, always in favour of moderation and diplomacy. Many followed his advice and he was well-respected. But when the star elves began constructing Sildeyuir, and planned to leave to their new home amongst the stars, of which this place was once a part, he completely against it. He said it would break relations with the humans and other races. So he went to the leaders of the other nations and told them of the elves' plans, hoping to get them talking. He wanted to save his people."

She sighed, then went on "So a once-friendly human tribe used that knowledge to find and attack an elven enclave, slaying the inhabitants and stealing the wealth they'd gathered to create their portals."

"Teraff, however, was a young hothead, a firebrand orator, a rabble-rouser. She spoke loudly against peace with the other races, even with other elves. Many with similar views listened to her. Eventually she gathered a band and set to raiding human communities. She was labeled an outlaw by the other elves. Until she was captured on a raid and the people tortured her for her knowledge of the portals. She never broke, and died rather than reveal those secrets."

The corridors extended left and right past their respective statues, and followed the inside walls of the hexagonal tower.


OOC: Let me know if you wish to follow the corridors.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Sat 12 Feb 2011.

Slove listen to the other elf.
"It seems there is a lot I do not know about my own peoples and our history Duladora.  Most seems sad and full of conflict.  Maybe that is what become of living so long?"
The elf seems thoughtful and looks for some response from Duladora.