"Definitely keep your wits about you, but I think we still need to walk in to this obvious trap. The tower appears to be... homemade. Hopefully he doesn't plan on toppling it down on top of us." And hopefully he hadn't just given the scrying necromancer the idea to do exactly that.

As he led his pony cart forward, the bard kept a sharp eye out for any noteworthy complications as they approached the tower. He was trying to piece together the necromancer's likely next move. "Irene, can you make sure Istvan stays Protected? Moreso than the rest of us. He is the one most likely to be able to help us if we get trapped, maimed, or overrun by a horde of undead."

---

03:57, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,2.  Discern Realities - approaching necromancer tower.

I will ask, "What is about to happen?" I also take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

Gorrid sees the image of a sword, pointing at the tower's door. You can also sense a vague feeling of malevolence within the building, though it seems unfocused.

Spriggy looks carefully as he draws closer to the tower, alert for any danger. Yet there's nothing there. The only thing missing from this scene, is a written invitation to step inside. The door isn't even locked.

"Seeing as the red carpet is out, I say we go in.  Anyone want to do anything else before we head in?  Spriggy, why don't you sing us a song!"

If we're not stealthing, may as well start with a bard buff or two :)

Spriggy nodded, then began singing to bolster his allies with his song-spells. He had recently learned a singing trick to stack two melodies atop eachother, creating two effects at once. In this instance, bolstering cooperation and offensive resolve. He... was not very skilled at using the double-song trick yet though...

---

I went ahead and kept rolling until I got a 6-. Only got two rolls... Added XP. The effect for both of them was to be the same. +1d4 damage and +2 when target received Aid instead of +1. Targeted Gorrid first, then Kharla. Was going to target Istvan and myself too, but then disaster struck. ;-)

19:15, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,4.  Arcane Art - boost Aid bonus, boost damage.

19:22, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 4 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,1.  Arcane Art - boost Aid bonus, boost damage.

This message was last edited by the player at 01:28, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

Kharla grinned as Spriggy's voice stirred her to action.  She approached the door upon the balls of her feet.  In only a moment the redhead checked to confirm that the portal was not warded and, if not, tried the door to see if it would yield.

20:48, Today: Kharla rolled 6 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 2,1.  Trap Expert + Cautious.
- When you use trap expert you always get +1 hold, even on a 6-
• Is there a trap here and if so, what activates it?

I'm assuming no XP since was still successful thanks to Cautious, correct?

Sir Gorrid followed behind the thief.  He gestured at the hirelings to keep up.  "The defenses are down now, but that may not last.  If you're caught on the wrong side of them, you'll be on your own..."

The henchmen nods, and follow behind you. The door is not only unlocked, but also without traps. Inside, you find what seems to be a combination of storage area and kitchen, with just a staircase heading up. The various boxes and chests holds run-of-the-mill supplies for an isolated building in the forest, though you notice a layer of dust suggesting nothing here has been used for a while.

The second floor is similarly left unused, though it does hold more fancy items. Half of the floor is taken by a simple bedroom. The bed is made, and clothes are in the wardrobe, but a layer of dust shows no one used the desk for a while. The clothes seems familiar, kind of like what the necromancer who attacked your inn was wearing.

The other half is a small necromancer's lab, with some valuable components (Worth 20 coins), and some disgusting rotten flesh and broken bones, made only slightly better by the layer of dust covering everything.

Third floor. Another, larger bedroom. This one seems in use, though. The soft bed is unmade, and the room needs a good dusting, but someone was sleeping here in the last few days, at least. But otherwise, there's nothing of note.

As you reach the fourth floor, a quick look outside tells you you're at the last floor. The door, still open and not trapped, leads into a major magical laboratory. The walls are covered with filled bookshelves, maps, scribbled notes in Elven, and a silver mirror. There's also alchemical equipment, but it seems to have been left in disuse for a long time, unlike various divination implement scattered on the tables. More books are tossed on the floor, with a few bowls of half-eaten food. The entire place looks like a mess, as though it's owner was too busy to do any form of cleaning.

The only part of the room that seems sorted is the central table, where an open book sits next to a loosely rolled-up scroll.

"Be careful of the scroll and book.  I fear they may be a trap.  Let's see if we can find some notes or something that might tell us what this mage was up to.  Also, he may be invisible and still here..."

The paladin hurried down the stairs, grabbed a blanket off the bed and threw it over the table, then began searching the room,

quote:

07:07, Today: Sir Gorrid of Torr rolled 11 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 3,5.  Discern realities.

What happened here recently?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is not what it appears to be?

What is my 'connection' to the necromancer telling me?

Biting her lip the thief regards the silver mirror, "Don't suppose you've hear of any spells what would let a wizard step through a mirror to somewhere's far away have you, Spriggy?"

Spriggy considered the mirror in-depth after Kharla asked about it specifically. "Mirrors feature prominently in many different magical legends and stories. There are tales that tell of mirrors being used for scrying, transportation, creating duplicates, accessing a reflected dimension, magical wardrobe changes, reflecting gaze attacks, seeing someone's inner beauty, revealing a being's true form, and any number of other minor uses. Their usage is so varied that it is difficult to tell which uses are real and which are fabrication. Of course, some mirrors are used for mundane purposes as well, but I have my doubts that this one was used merely for brushing hair..." With that, Spriggy began examining the mirror to see if it was magical in and of itself.

As he scanned it, he mentioned to the others, "Someone could check the dust on the bookshelves. See which books have been pulled off the shelves most recently. It might help provide additional clues."

---

If the mirror is magical, I will use my Bardic Lore to ask, "What sorts of magic is this mirror used for?"

Judging how Gorrid's senses leads to a seemingly dead-end, Spriggy assumes the mirror was used to open a pocket dimension. A refuge the necromancer must have used to keep himself safe. The book and scroll on the table appears to have been left there deliberately, but it's impossible to tell why without examining either.

As you looks through the notes and papers, you get the impression that his magical research wasn't focused on necromancy, but rather on finding something. Some of the books written in the common tongue deals with the history of various villages to the north and east, as well as treatises on legends and curses.

Most of the notes are written in short-hand elven, making it barely decipherable by Spriggy and Leo's combined studies. From what you can gather, the necromancer has been investigating a very old curse. And by how old some of the journals Russel finds are, he's been doing that for decades, though the more recent the texts, the more angry and sharp the writing is. In the end, you think he found what he wanted. Something related to bloodlines, and a small village at the east end of the Sunrise Reach call Killbourne.

Seraph looks at the covered documents. "If you wish, I could examine the texts. It's unlikely any traps they have could affect me."

"He *wanted* us here.  And I'm pretty sure he *wanted* us to look at the book and scroll.  He new we were coming and he deliberately left them out.  He was a necromancer, and they have some power over spirits.  My leaning is to learn more before we take that risk.  Take the mirror, scroll and book with us and go check out the village.  And perhaps put some iron bands around the mirror or something to make it less likely he can pop out of it if he wants."  He looked around to see the thoughts of the others.

Did we find the name of this necromancer?  Any information at all about the nature of the curse?

"Really? I don't get that impression at all. I get the feeling that as soon as he thought we were nearby-- maybe an undead bat or something warned him-- he hid in the mirror. I can't imagine why he would want us to find this stuff. It feels a lot more to me like extreme haste than carefully setting up a trap for us."

"He *knew* we were here.  He turned off all his traps.  He left his door unlocked.  He's a necromancer sitting in his own tower.  I've never met one of those who ran away without putting up at least *some* sort of a fight.  We could melt his mirror, burn his books and he'd be up the creek.  If he didn't want us to take this book or these scrolls, he could have taken them with him or at least put them back on the shelf.  That would have taken the time it took us to cross from the trees to the front door, let alone to make our way up all those stairs.

This smells way too funny.  The obvious think to do is to read the book and the scroll.  We shouldn't do the obvious thing..."

"I think it likely Leo is correct, that the necromancer had a passive detection spell laid over the area around the tower and was alerted to our presence, Kharla paced round the table, reciting what they had surmised so far, "To that end it may be that he did leave in a rush and did not have time to tidy up.  He had no undead guards or servants here to marshal against us.  He was alone!  Vulnerable!"

"SO!  Was the book and scroll a trap?  Or were they simply not important enough for him to grab as he fled?  Will he pop back out from the mirror any moment and lay waste with fell spells and bring undead minions with him?" She seemed to be announcing the situation to an imaginary listener, like some great sleuth deducing the motive at the scene of a crime.   It was doubtful anyone in the room truly saw her as such.

She laid her hand upon the blanket Sir Gorrid had used to cover the book and scroll and whipped it from the table in a flourish...but smiled before leaning over to read, "Well we need find out one way or the other.  As of now we only know of this village, Killgore...no, that's not right...Killbourne! yes, Killbourne.  Lady Seraph's plan is sound, she would be an unlikely target for any fell trap given it was likely we, the living, who triggered the detection spell.  Ooooor I could...." she began to lean forward slowly, as if to begin reading...

For those that knew her it actually showed great restraint on the redhead's part that she hadn't already begun reading the book or scroll by this point.

Gotta do something.   Seraph or Kharla or Squiggy review the text?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:39, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

"He was in a rush, but had time to turn off his traps and unlock the front door, even though he knew we were here?  He had the power to create traps to cause fear and drain life but opted to use none of those while we approached his home -the center of his research for decades?  This is a necromancer with the power to manipulate minds to never find his tower in the first place, yet he flees from our rag-tag band without attempting *any* sort of defense?

If we can learn nothing at the village, then perhaps then, we can have Lady Seraph read the text.  If the mage has fled, there is no rush.  If he is watching and waiting for us to do as he desires, best not to do it.

The knight gave a brief prayer and glanced around the room before covering the book and scroll again with the blanket and, through the blanket, closed the book and gathered book and scroll into a bundle.

Our job was to stop the necromancer from using his book, not to read it.  If we bring the mirror, we can get it to someone who can either get him out, or ensure he remains safely 'in' for the remainder of his natural - or unnatural life.  And we can turn the book over to someone who has expertise in such things and can *safely* examine it and, if appropriate, destroy it.

I only suggest approaching the village so that we might have more useful information to report when we return."


What here is evil?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:32, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

"You've got some good points, honestly. Why de-trap the place? So I tell you what..."

Istvan gets out his holy symbol, the little black crescent moon, and prays for Guidance.

(09:51, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((3,3)).

After you cast it, the spell is revoked by your deity. You cannot cast the spell again until you commune and have it granted to you.)

As the others spoke, Spriggy listened. But he also continued to examine the mirror. He looked for any arcane markings (or lack thereof), and continually referenced one of the books his unseen servant had brought along. He was trying to figure out if there was any way they might be able to access the pocket dimension themselves. It could be useful even if the necromancer had escaped through another back door in the mirror. "Anyone happen to know anything about pocket dimensions?" he asked quietly as the others discussed more important matters. "Or magical portals? Or even mirrors in general? ..."

When it became clear Gorrid wasn't going to let anyone look at the scroll and book, the bard tried to catch Kharla's eye and give her a "we will take a peek later" sort of look.

---

Using Spout Lore on the mirror, using a use of my Bag of Books. Trying to figure out how to access the pocket dimension.
10:11, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 9 using 2d6+4 with rolls of 1,4.  Spout Lore, with book - access pocket dimension.

An Aid could bump that to a 10+

Russel raises a hand. "Maybe he's not that strong? I mean, it's kinda like when you get into a king's castle. He's had years to build up defenses, but get him in a corner, and he won't last long."

"And his reason for removing the traps outside?"

He shrugs. "If he's scared of us enough, maybe he didn't want to get us angry. If we're angry, we'd just be even more likely to keep chasing him."

OOC: The necromancer's name is Teririgt, according to his apprentice.

"Um, guys? Having a little vision now... I'm seeing a black crescent... I mean besides my holy symbol... this one's 'horns' are pointing upward, which is usually considered a good sign... And it's... floating... over the book and scroll on the table. I think maybe Noric says it's cool to look at those. I'd do it myself, but if it's in Elvish, then..."

"The scroll is radiating pure and powerful evil.  I beg of you, please don't try to look at it.  If it is Noric's will that we look at the book, then I guess we can let the lady peruse it."

He allowed the book to drop gently out of the blanket onto the table without his hands coming into contact with it.  He kept the scroll safely contained.

He turned to look at Russel - "The king doesn't usually leave the door on his castle open so people can waltz right in..."

"Can you read Elvish, Irene?" Spriggy asked the spirit. "It really would probably be best if you read it first, but if only some of us living folk know the language, I should probably be the one to take a peek." He still wanted to take a peek at the scroll too, but it would have to wait until later.

He gestured with is thumb at the mirror he had just examined. "Oh, and the runes etched around the mirror's circumference do indicate that it is focus used for accessing a pocket dimension of some kind. I don't think destroying the mirror will affect the dimension though. And it is highly likely that this Teririgt guy has alternate exits from the place. I couldn't quite crack how to get in ourselves, but maybe our guild magician can?"

Kharla was torn with internal indecision.  One the one hand she did vaguely recall that she'd noticed all the traps outside had been disabled and that the necromancer was likely laying trap for them all.  But on the other she REALLY wanted to read the book and scroll. What to do?  WHAT to do?

But when Istvan said that Noric (God of Thieves no less) seemed to indicate that it was well to perues them, suddenly she felt certain there wouldn't be any harm in taking a peek.  Indeed, she often looked to Istvan for guidance and it seemed that once again the clerics divine wisdom had shown the way.

Sauntering over to the fallen book, Kharla picked it up and thumbed through a few pages to see if she could recognize the script before handing it to Seraph.

Kharla's bond with Istvan just has to come into play here.  If he says it's safe, she respects him and will believe it.

Hehe...she's gonna get nuked
This message was last edited by the player at 04:15, Mon 22 Nov 2021.

Sir Gorrid, having seen the gleam in Kharla's eye was ready and did his best to interpose himself, though trying to block the wily thief was easier said than done.  "Please let the Lady examine it first!"

Based on my own bond

quote:

Kharla is bold but impetuous.  I must keep her from getting herself (and us) in too much trouble.

, I'm going to try to interfere.

quote:

06:55, Today: Sir Gorrid of Torr rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,4.  Interfere w/ Kharla.

Unless my Bless is still effective:
*On a 7–9, they still get a modifier, but you also expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.

So Kharla needs to make a roll at a -2 (probably Dex?), but Sir Gorrid's probably messed himself up too.  And it's all Kharla's fault!! ;)

Gorrid slips the book out from beneath the blanket, and Seraph looks into it. "Most of it is written like the notes around the room. In elvish, but written in a shortened style. The last page is written in a... very clumsy common, and speaks of an escape spell. Using a scroll as a key?"

That last part is enough to convince the rogue, and Kharla nabs the scroll to take a look... Gorrid tries to stop her, but only succeeds in spilling the scroll to the floor, where it opens to reveal...

Something not that impressive. There's just a big black circle in the center. A circle so black, it seems almost like a hole. One that draws you into it, and seems to head deeper and deeper, almost sucking you in...

And within the unfathomable depths, you make out floating letters coming together, forming a short phrase...

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
^One _Hundred Years

---