Slove takes good look around.  Bow in hand ready for what ever next.
In this land more any other anything could happen and seem often does.



23:39, Today: Slove rolled 10 using 1d20+5. ssearch.
23:39, Today: Slove rolled 17 using 1d20+7. spot.
23:38, Today: Slove rolled 12 using 1d20+7. listen.

The four explorers ventured up the hovering glass stairs and onto the great central platform. Stepping between the standing menhirs, they entered the circle. In the centre was a small transparent glass pedestal, on the top of which was a small hole. It seemed big enough to insert either end of the control key.

Balrok keeps his axe ready, muttering about suspicious elven magic.  Having already demonstrated his inability to find the elves' magical traps, he leaves the looking around to everyone else.  If someone moves to insert the amulet into the pedestal, he cautions grumpily, "Tryda put in du right side dis time; dat lightning frizzed up me beard."

Gurgun tries. the hobgoblin casts a sideways glance at Balrok.

He approaches the center and gets ready to put the "back" end of the key in the hole.

Ready?

OOC: Sorry, Jorn, I forgot to give a response to you.

Jorn glanced around with arcane sight, sensing the magical auras. They were everywhere. He didn't sense the transmutation magic of portals however; the portal was outside, on that island. The glass blocks of the ring, and those in the storage pit below, each radiated evocation magic, the magic of manipulation and movement. They had different degrees of power. [Private to Jorn Brightcaller: With your detect magic, you get a +2 on checks to operate the portal controller. You also recall that star elf magic tends to be controlled by speech, and likely in Elven.]

Gurgun inserted the rod, loop-end-first, into the hole. It jerked in his hands as some mechanism inside hooked the loop and held it in place. Then he took a surprised step back as the entire pedestal began to glow with powerful light, which focused in the topaz tip of the control key. It began to hum, like a musical choir.

Suddenly beams of light fired from every facet of the topaz and struck the glassy dome overhead, forming glowing lines of power. They were geometric designs of intricate patterns, the magic of the portals and the planes and complex circuitry. Another beam reflected from the centre of the dome, and lanced down into the storage pit beneath them.

Slove's keen ears heard the squeak of claws on glass. Gurgun glimpsed a leathery shape scurry within the pit. Then creature rose into the air on flapping bat-like wings. It was almost the size of a man, with wings twice as tall and tipped with claws. A curving neck ended in a reptilian head and a long, flicking tongue. Fluorescent green skin was stretched tight over the gaunt body, and the bones glowed brightly through. Strangely, it also had tufts of fur, and the tail and ears of a rat.

The creature let out a dreadful, irritating screech.



Round 1:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
B: Balrok
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller

C: Creature, flying around somewhere

Effects:

Portal Control: Intelligence DC 15 to learn and operate, or 1d4 minutes of trial-and-error

Initiative:
21 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
17 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 9 - Creature

"More things that want to die it seems."

With that two arrows leave Slove bow very quickly.

OOC:
17:26, Today: Slove rolled 5 using 1d8+3. damage.
17:26, Today: Slove rolled 4 using 1d8+3. damage.
17:22, Today: Slove rolled 23 using 1d20+10.
17:22, Today: Slove rolled 25 using 1d20+10. attack with bow.

If they undead or animal maybe more damage.

OOC: There's only one creature by the way, even if the image shows multiple.

Mid-Round Update:

The arrows flew past the creature, one piercing its bat-like wings, the other scoring a cut across its flank. It screeched loudly. [Slove hits, deals 9 damage]

Updates:

Creature slightly damaged

Initiative:
21 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
17 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 9 - Creature

In reply to DM BadCatMan (msg #453):

Jorn dashes up to the controls, shaking his beard as he grabbbed the key;
"Dun mind me Gurgun, n'help Slove. Them keys are elven and magical, so me ought to be able to work this out..."

The dwarf racked his mind for hints of what words might activate the portal proper. He recalls the many tomes he glanced through in the library, as well as what little knowledge gleaned from the knowledge gems. Given the star elven traditional of weaving magic and music, the key likely had to be used in conjunction with a voice...

Jorn haltingly spoke syllable after syllable, observing the reactions in the auras of the room as he did;

MOVE: straight for the controls
STANDARD: attempt to operate

20:45, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 20 using 1d20+5. Int check operate portal.

Gurgun takes a step back, unwinds his sling and fires a stone at the strange flying creature.

OOC: Attack 15, damage 7

With a meaty thud! the sling-bullet impacted the flying creature's belly. It dropped a bit in the air before recovering; it was beginning to tire. [Gurgun hits!]

Balrok fumbled for a throwing axe tucked in his belt; he'd not expected flying critters coming in. Drawing back his powerful arm, he waited, waited, leading the thing as it swooped around - and finally hurled the axe end-over-end. The axe hacked into a trailing leg before falling into the pit, dark blood raining down after it. [Balrok NPCed. Attack 19 (after range), damage 9]

Hissing in rage, it swooped down over the party, one clawed wing-tip catching Slove across his cheek, drawing a line of red blood. Then it passed, disappearing over the pillars and curving to fly beneath the stairs. [Creature: Fly-By Attack! Attack 28 (20!), critical confirm 18 no, damage 5 @ Slove. Creature Concealed]

Ignoring the battle going on overhead, Jorn soon found that the portal control was voice-operated and really quite simple: if he said 'left', the beam moved left; if told it move out, it moved towards the walls, and so. Now he only had to pick the right two stone blocks.


OOC: Jorn, Intelligence DC 15 per round per block. It's like one of those skill-tester machines. :)

Round 2:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
B: Balrok
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller

C: Creature, beneath stairs, moderately damaged

Effects:

Portal Control: Intelligence DC 15 to learn and operate, or 1d4 minutes of trial-and-error

Initiative:
21 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
17 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 9 - Creature

Better stand back than try and chase flying lizard around. is Gurgun's advice. Positioning himself to offer some protection to Jorn as he struggled with the device.

Ready action: Fire sling at creature once in sight

Waiting Slove shoots two arrows at creature when comes into range.

"I thinks I have this figured out!" yelled the dwarf, "keep that thing away from'eh whilst I works the controls!"

Right then. Elvish, elven, little blocks and patterns. Based on the arrangement of the auras and assuming optimal spell-circle arrangements in the mansory...

21:04, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 21 using 1d20+5. Int check.

OOC: I don't know what happened to Balrok, so he does nothing.

Mid-Round Update:

With a screech, the flying creature flew out from under the stairs and arced up and around - it was making for Jorn!


OOC: Gurgun and Slove, please make readied attacks.
Slove, Readied actions can only be standard, move or free/swift, so you can't make a Rapid Attack (which is a full-round attack action). Single attacks only.

Initiative:
21 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
17 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 9 - Creature

Readied attack: sling (27), damage (5)

Slove lets the arrow go when see he has good shot at creature.

OOC
Thanks for the guidence on rule.  It did cross my mind if that was case.
18:49, Today: Slove rolled 9 using 1d8+3. damage.
18:49, Today: Slove rolled 16 using 1d20+12. attack with bow.

Seeing the creature come close by, Balrok ducked to grab his axe off the floor.

Jorn had just managed to find and select the correct block, and told the device to move it. The glowing beam from the ceiling fixed on the glass block, and it began to levitate into the air...

The creature looped around the edge of the platform, and amid a hail of arrow and stone, it swooped down on Jorn, seemingly intent on stopping his work. "Reeech!" it screeched, and a clawed wing-tip slashed across Jorn's chest - and trimmed his beard! [Creature: attack 26, damage 7 @ Jorn]

OOC: Jorn, make a Concentration check DC 18 or lose the detect magic and the +2 bonus. Also, the creature can AoO you as you work on the device.

Round 3:



G: Gurgun Nightwhisper
B: Balrok
S: Slove
J: Jorn Brightcaller

C: Creature, beneath stairs, seriously damaged

Effects:

Portal Control: Intelligence DC 15 to learn and operate, or 1d4 minutes of trial-and-error

Initiative:
21 - Gurgun
19 - Jorn
17 - Slove
10 - Balrok
 9 - Creature

OOC: Did the winged horror dive beneath the platform again?

OOC: It's that big black C on the map. :) I didn't have enough move to keep going. (Sorry, I forgot to remove the 'below the stairs' bit.)

Is it reachable (8' or below)?

Slove lets another arrow go at creature.


OOC:
20:09, Today: Slove rolled 10 using 1d8+3. damage.
20:08, Today: Slove rolled 15 using 1d20+3.
20:07, Today: Slove rolled 20 using 1d20+12. attack with bow.

OOC: Yes, it's reachable - 5ft up. It had to be to attack Jorn.

Flying creature make big mistake. Now Gurgun will ground you!
The burly hobgoblin throws himself at the lizard, grabs him and pulls him down before crushing it in a deadly hold.

OOC: Initiate grapple
14:30, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 6 using 1d8+3. Damage.
14:29, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 31 using 1d20+11. Grapple check.
14:29, Today: Gurgun Nightwhisper rolled 22 using 1d20+7. touch attack.

Slove put an arrow in the creature's flank, slowing it enough for Gurgun to run around and lunge at it. Ducking beneath the swishing claws, he enclosed it in his mighty arms. With sounds like twigs snapping, he broke its wings and spindly limbs, and it died in his arms.

Meanwhile, Jorn's selected block hovered through the air, and with a surprising soft thud, it settled into place, becoming a lintel and completing an arch. There was one more to go...


OOC: Battle is over! Yeah, for a final guardian it was a bit lame. :( I noticed too late that if Savera and/or Mourel survive, they reappear here.

XPs are posted.

Jorn would have said something if it didn't risk jeopardizing the controls. Instead, the dwarf merely gave a thumbs up as he continued to work the portal;

11:47, Today: Jorn Brightcaller rolled 24 using 1d20+5. Int check.