A Wrong Door
19 Kythorn 1492
You woke rested and eager to put your new plan into action. Smokepoweder kegs were stashed in bags and brassiers, and you made your way out of Nar'l Xibrindas' office en route back to Thorvin. The lair, perhaps due to the early hour, seemed uncommonly quiet.
Ahmergo and Nar’l were not where Zanalor had last encountered them. He led his friends through the promenade and audience chamber into a hall with more statues Pessius keenly confirms to be petrified heroes from the past. She marvels at the flawless detail and yearns to join them…. Oh, too soon.
Before the party can find Thorvin, an odd deep gnome dressed in flamboyant colors and wearing garish clown make-up confronts them at the door. Flutterfoot Zipswiggle salutes the party, claiming to know the Xanathar and many secrets, and answering Zanalor’s usual grumble with a titter, offering the secrets if the could answer a riddle. He hands curl around a bag as he begins, but Zanalor cuts to the chase if chase = the gnome’s throat. The bag and now useless dust of disappearance falls to the ground, Froderick scoops up the body, and Zanalor leads the party south to Thorvin’s workshop.
The workshop was still loud with the stonework and gears that Thorvin was tinkering with under the watchful gaze(r) of a floating albino eyeball. Thorvin turns to regard the party, and Zanalor now feeling his assassin’s adrenaline, immediately steps forward and slizes Xanathar’s gazer in half. Thorvin is mortified. “What have you done?” He admonished the team for forcing this point of no return by slaying the gazer, though conceded that, having missed the audience last night, they had cheated death but mobilized the guild into a search of the lair and now stretching out into Skullport.
The party immediately confirmed the stash of smokepowder and Thorvin grabbed charcoal to note six specific locations on a crudely drawn lair map. There was some confusion on placement, on the best routes, on what might lie within the other areas, and perhaps a sinking feeling when Thorvin said that a certain clownish gnome was a font of lair secrets all for the price of a riddle. Thorvin mentioned other ways to shake up the guild though worried that time might be against the party now. He encouraged you to take out the scrying wizards in a room to the north, and, now free of the gazer’s attention, asked if you had more questions. He confirmed he could not accompany you and would be leaving the lair, but suggested there might be more to do. He said this last bit to the retreating form of Nuitt, as Zanalor and Froderick were already awkwardly moving north like a clumsy three legged race. This team has NO TIME!
You found a room with five or six shield dwarves all in a circle and monitoring the scrying eyestalks around the lair. Pessius quickly determined their nature and function though Nuitt had softened them up considerably by killing them with yet another fire opal fireball from his Helm of Brilliance. Froderick finished off the last one with a guiding bold, and Pessius tried to use her own divination talents but could not use the scrying magic (though perhaps caught a glimps of Ahmergo and some minotaur porn). There were sounds in the western rooms, so Zanalor slipped into the Promende to the east while Nuitt the party looted the bodies for a couple minor scrolls. Zanalor exchanged words with Ahmergo there, though it was a short conversation as Ahmergo accused Zanalor of being a traitor, a liar, and a dead man. Outnumbered, he retreated… somewhere and the party decided to start their demoltions in the crypts.
Semantically, that’s a fun phrase.
Back down the stairs, you thought you heard sounds down the west hall. You turned east, and glancing into Nar'ls office found the drow mage impaled with pitons to the wall, his grell bodyguard in a heap at his feat. The friends decided not to investigate but turned to the north door.
In the darkness of the vaulted chamber, they saw some dim alcoves, large crystaline containers with embalmed beholders. They saw creepy stuff. They couldn’t see the Xanathar, who decided it was a fine time to announce himself with eye beams at the three closest heros: Nuitt, Zanalor, and Froderick. In his randomness, the disintegrating ray, death ray, and charm ray were the first to fire. The elves shrug off the effects from the unseen assailant, but the cleric felt an all hostility leave him. First in combat, he moved into the room and tried to perceive, aware the rays came from high to the east. Pessius moved farther into the room and felt suddenly leeched of her power, similar to the holding cells. The Xanathar, next to act, shifted his focus – Zanalor now felt the leeching of his power while Pessius feels her own surging back. The beholder triggered three more eye beams and again triggerred the more devastating of them -disintegration, petrification, and fear.
Froderick was the first to fall (even borrowing a saving through from inspiration). He was a stout cleric (76 hp with his buffs), but Xanathar rolls 10d6+40 for 77 damage*, and Froderick disappeared in a collapsing cloud of dust and ash. Pessius succumbed to the second ray, and feels her body start to stiffen and seize up, restrained but fighting off petrification. Nuitt shrugged off the last and threws one of the eight remaining rubies from his Helm, triggering a Wall of Fire that sprung up to hide them but seemed oddly abbreviated (by the antimagic). As he ran toward the Wall and Froderick’s remains, the walls of the crypt explode in a mass of black tentacles that reach out for Zanalor and Pessius. Zanalor entered farther into the room to a point where he can feel his power come back and hides. He sees his wife raise her hands to cast a globe of invulnerability, but the petrification takes hold and the tiefling becomes solid rock. Somewhere, someone yelled “Snails!”
Nuitt felt the tides turning and quickly gathered Froderick’s dust remains and shield. As Nuitt fled through the door, Zanalor said something awesome which the DM didn’t write down so we’ll just say “Choke on this, muthatrucka!”. He hurled his powderkeg at the wall of fire, triggering an explosion that shattered the nearest crystal tomb and took part of the petrified Pessius’ chest and left arm off. She was reduced to 14 hit points but survived. He tried to move his petrified wife, but no gamma Hulk powers materialized; Pessius is now well over 700 pounds. Zanalor had to withstand the tocix effects of the noxious gases from the embalmed remains as he fought his way out the door.
* I rolled the disintegration 10d6+40 ten more times later as I couldn't believe how close I was. The rolls exceeded the 76hp on four out of ten tries but always so close.
6/30/2020, 10:30:11 PM] Zanelor Liadon Thieves’ Tools This set of tools includes a small file, a set of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers. Proficiency with these tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to disarm traps or open locks. Use Thieves’ Tools Dexterity Expertise ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:30:13 PM] Zanelor Liadon 15 Thieves’ Tools - Tool Check (Dexterity) 1d20 + 5 + 8 = 2 + 5 + 8 = 15 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:35:32 PM] Beholder 1d10 1d10 = 9 = 9 [disintegration ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:35:35 PM] Beholder 1d10 1d10 = 10 = 10 [death ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:35:38 PM] Beholder 1d10 1d10 = 1 = 1 [charm ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:37:40 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle 25 Dexterity Saving Throw 1d20 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 15 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 25 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:37:44 PM] Zanelor Liadon 19 Dexterity Saving Throw 1d20 + 5 + 4 = 10 + 5 + 4 = 19 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:38:08 PM] Froderick 9 Wisdom Saving Throw 1d20 + 3 + 4 = 2 + 3 + 4 = 9 [charmed] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:38:47 PM] Froderick 20 Wisdom Saving Throw 1d20 + 3 + 4 = 13 + 3 + 4 = 20 [doube click] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:40:18 PM] Beholder 17 Beholder rolls for Initiative! 1d20 + 2 = 15 + 2 = 17 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:40:19 PM] Froderick 20 Froderick rolls for Initiative! 1d20 + 1 + 2 = 17 + 1 + 2 = 20 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:40:27 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria 18 Pessius Anguish Arineria rolls for Initiative! 1d20 + 1 = 17 + 1 = 18 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:40:29 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle 17 Nuitt Sidenettle rolls for Initiative! 1d20 + 5 = 12 + 5 = 17 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:40:33 PM] Zanelor 9 Zanelor rolls for Initiative! 1d20 + 5 = 4 + 5 = 9 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:41:23 PM] Froderick 11 Perception Skill Check 1d20 + 3 = 8 + 3 = 11 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:41:24 PM] Froderick Froderick's Turn Froderick ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:44:11 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria Pessius Anguish Arineria 's Turn Pessius ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:49:28 PM] Xanathar 1d10 1d10 = 9 = 9 [disintegration ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:49:30 PM] Xanathar 1d10 1d10 = 8 = 8 [petrification ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:49:33 PM] Xanathar 1d10 1d10 = 3 = 3 [fear ray] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:51:02 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle 17 Wisdom Saving Throw [fear ray] 1d20 + 3 + 1 = 13 + 3 + 1 = 17 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:51:07 PM] Froderick 6 Dexterity Saving Throw [disintegration ray] 1d20 + 1 = 5 + 1 = 6 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:51:28 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria 8 Dexterity Saving Throw [petrification ray] 1d20 + 1 + 2 = 5 + 1 + 2 = 8 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:52:48 PM] Beholder 10d6+40 10d6 + 40 = 37 + 40 = 77 [disintegration damage] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:55:07 PM] Froderick 8 Dexterity Saving Throw [GO INSPIRATION] 1d20 + 1 = 7 + 1 = 8 [poop] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:56:00 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle Nuitt Sidenettle's Turn Nuitt ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:57:23 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle 18 Dexterity Saving Throw [tentacles] 1d20 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 8 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 18 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:58:51 PM] Zanelor Liadon Zanelor's Turn Zanalor ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 10:59:10 PM] Chris oof Froderick ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:00:43 PM] Zanelor Liadon 22 Stealth Skill Check 1d20 + 9 = 13 + 9 = 22 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:01:12 PM] Froderick Froderick's Turn Froderick ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:01:20 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria Pessius Anguish Arineria 's Turn Pessius ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:04:04 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria Globe of Invulnerability 6th Level Abjuration Casting Time 1 action Range Self/10ft. Duration up to 1 minute Components V, S, M Concentration An immobile, faintly shimmering barrier springs into existence in a 10-foot radius around you and remains for the duration. Any spell of 5th level or lower cast from outside the barrier can't affect creatures or objects within it, even if the spell is cast using a higher level spell slot. Such a spell can target creatures and objects within the barrier, but the spell has no effect on them. Similarly, the area within the barrier is excluded from the areas affected by such spells. At Higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the barrier blocks spells of one level higher for each slot level above 6th. ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:06:17 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria 23 Dexterity Saving Throw 1d20 + 1 + 2 = 20 + 1 + 2 = 23[tentacles] ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:09:54 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle Nuitt Sidenettle's Turn Nuitt ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:11:55 PM] Zanelor Liadon Zanelor's Turn Zanalor ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:13:22 PM] Froderick Froderick's Turn Froderick ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:14:55 PM] Pessius Anguish Arineria 13 Dexterity Saving Throw
[pessius remembers and reminds DM that she should have not done that and made her 2nd petrification save] 1d20 + 1 + 2 = 10 + 1 + 2 = 13 ---------------------------
[6/30/2020, 11:16:11 PM] Nuitt Sidenettle Nuitt Sidenettle gets high from the statue ---------------------------