thuryl:
As you continue down the passage, the crude earthen walls eventually give way to carefully smoothed stone, covered in lavish abstract murals, seemingly no worse for wear after centuries down here.
Begin.
Phulax:
I look at the murals; what are they? Any patterns?
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 6
thuryl:
Leph, we're going north.
Lephista:
Thanks, I figured that out. :P
thuryl:
Phulax doesn't recognise the art style, but the art seems to consist of repeating geometric patterns, mostly in red, white and gold. It's quite attractive.
Jarrox:
"So if the test reset like we thought they might, does that mean that there's another big worm at the end of the tunnel we just went through?"
Lephista:
(Quick refresher: anybody remember the notebook clue for this test?)
Phulax:
"Possibly, Jarrox. I"m not going back to find out."
thuryl:
I can repeat the notebook clue if you want, since Meredith wrote it down.
Phulax:
"Phol-Phoram's test requires integrity, and warns of temptation."
thuryl:
But that works too.
Lephista:
"Hmm, temptation."
Meredith:
(I have them all saved in M's notes, for future reference)
Jarrox:
"Temptation? Does that mean I'm finding some booze, gold and women?"
Lephista:
"Temptation implies that you might resist."
Jarrox:
I wink at Siana.
Dyen:
I'm gonna look at this giant thing in the middle of the room. Any idea what it is?
thuryl:
In front of you, you see a beautiful golden altar decorated with elaborate relief carvings. On top of the altar is a stone tablet, containing a few sentences in ancient dialect and a grid of numbers.
Meredith:
I'll try to read the writing.
* Meredith rolls: d20 => 8
Lephista:
Perception: has anyone come through here recently?
thuryl:
Meredith thinks the writing says something about seeking the truth beneath the surface of things.
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 7
thuryl:
Lephista sees no sign of passage but her own party's.
Dyen:
(... Divination, you say?)
Phulax:
I examine the number grid (roll?)
thuryl:
No need to roll. The grid of numbers reads as follows:
293
168
745
The first three numbers are the top row, and so on. It's a 3x3 grid.
Meredith:
I make a note of them.
Phulax:
"Interesting."
Lephista:
"Hmm. 9 numbers, and each digit occurs once. I bet it's a puzzle."
Hirst:
"What kind of puzzle? I don't see how to solve it, or what to use the solution for if we could."
Meredith:
"Maybe the order we should visit rooms?"
Phulax:
Can the numbers slide around or move? Can they pushed like buttons?
Siana:
"Wow, a solid gold altar! Forget about wishes, if we can drag this thing out somehow we're rich already!"
Lephista:
"Wow, no wonder Jarrox likes you."
Dyen:
"And with a goddess as an enemy."
thuryl:
Phulax examines the numbers, but they seem to be carved immovably into the stone.
Siana:
"We could just chip away a little of it, at the edges. If the tests reset like you think, it'll grow back, right?"
Dyen:
What are these boxy things?
"Perhaps you could simply wish for wealth when we are done."
thuryl:
Dyen explores to the west and sees four large, sturdy wooden chests in the corners of the next chamber.
Dyen:
Can they be opened?
thuryl:
Meanwhile, Phulax explores to the east and sees an enormous pile of gold and jewels, just lying around on the floor.
Phulax:
Anything unusual about the pile of loot?
thuryl:
Dyen opens one of the chests, and finds that it's full of small bottles, filled with various liquids. They might be potions of some sort. Or maybe they're just fancy booze.
Lephista:
What's this thing Mer and I are looking at?
Dyen:
I open one and sniff it.
thuryl:
Phulax sees nothing special about the pile of treasure, except that there's a whole lot of it just sitting there for the taking. It must be over a thousand gold pieces in coins alone, let alone the jewels.
Dyen opens a bottle and sniffs it. It smells faintly sweet and floral.
Phulax:
I carefully skirt my way around the coins and jewels, trying not to touch it.
Dyen:
"Hmm."
I open another chest. Same stuff?
Phulax:
Without touching, I try to look more closely at the crown thing.
thuryl:
Lephista and Meredith move into the next room to the north, where they see a plain stone table with a far-from-plain golden cloth draped over it. By all appearances, the cloth has somehow been woven from pure gold.
Dyen opens another chest, to find it also full of bottles.
Phulax examines the crown. It's fancy and golden and set with jewels. There are several like it in the pile.
Lephista:
What's this thing?
Dyen:
Golden dragon statue?
Siana:
"Why, hello there, Phulax. What's this you've found?"
Lephista:
It looks more like a giant bird.
Meredith:
(okay, for the DM's sanity, let's get together, and do the rooms 1 by 1?)
Jarrox:
I try to recall why any of the gods would use numbers as test of their followers faith. (Religion)
* Jarrox rolls: d20 => 17
Phulax:
"I don't know, Siana. Some part of the Test of Phol-Phoram. Still trying to figure it out."
Lephista:
"Nobody take anything!"
thuryl:
Dyen has, in fact, found a large golden statue of a dragon. Meanwhile, Meredith is standing by a big gold platform with the image of a dragon's head in relief on it.
Lephista:
(That's me, not Meredith.)
thuryl:
Meredith was when I typed that.  
Phulax:
(Actually now it's me!)
Lephista:
(Oh, never mind, I see what you mean. Sorry.)
Meredith:
(phulax is there now)
(sniped)
Dyen:
Water or marble?
thuryl:
Water, Dyen. It's a big pool of fresh, pure water.
In the northwestern room.
Dyen:
I poke it.
thuryl:
Jarrox vaguely recalls that many followers of Phol-Phoram are ascetic philosophers, seeking truths about reality in abstract fields such as mathematics, and seeing correspondences between these abstractions and the physical world.
Dyen:
(Heh. Sawbones wasn't.)
Phulax:
Is there writing around the giant gold platform?
thuryl:
Dyen places his hand in the pool of water. It's cool and refreshing, and the bruises and scratches on his hand from fighting immediately begin to heal.
Dyen:
***Dyen is healed and gains 1 hit points.***
Dyen:
I drink some.
Lephista:
What's this thing in the top middle room?
thuryl:
Phulax sees some runic symbols around the edges of the gold platform.
Lephista enters the northern room and sees what appears to be some kind of large tomb.
Phulax:
"Meredith, did you see this inscription?"
thuryl:
Meanwhile, Dyen cups his hands and collects a little water from the pool to drink. As soon as it passes his lips, he feels much better.
Dyen:
***Dyen is healed and gains 6 hit points.***
Phulax:
"Over here. On the big gold thing."
Meredith:
I try and read the inscription
* Meredith rolls: d20 => 1
Meredith:
(haha)
Dyen:
"What big gold thing?"
"There's several."
thuryl:
As far as Meredith can tell, the runes are just decoration, with no particular meaning.
Lephista:
"Hey guys, I just had a thought."
Phulax:
"Oh. Well, I figured it might tell us something."
Lephista:
"What if the nine rooms correspond to the nine of us? Like, each one is a temptation for one of us?"
Phulax:
"No, Dyen, there's only one giant gold platform."
"Are there nine of us? Huh, yeah. How do we know which is which, then?"
Meredith:
"Hmm, maybe Lephista. There were 10 of us to begin with though, so unless this test shifts to suit whoever enters..."
Ilestro:
"That's absurd. How could the builders of the test possibly know that there would be nine of us?"
Dyen:
"There's a giant gold altar, a giant gold sheet, a giant pile of gold, a giant golden dragon statue, and a giant golden tomb thing."
Meredith:
"I think it's more likely each room relates to one of the 9 numbers."
Dyen:
"In addition to this giant gold circle."
Phulax:
"This entire place is incredibly magical. I wouldn't put anything past the designers."
Phulax:
"It must have the ability to adapt somewhat to different groups."
Dyen:
"Or coincidence."
Lephista:
"Well, the healing water could be me, I guess. And the library could be Meredith. And the tomb could be Dyen, since he keeps trying to get himself killed."
Meredith:
"I mean, 9 is the tomb. It's the last number, and it's the last resting place of whoever is buried here. There are parallels."
Phulax:
"But even if the nine chambers correspond to the grid...what does that mean? The numbers aren't contiguous, we can't just follow a sequence from room to room."
Meredith:
"No, but maybe we do something in that room?"
"I mean did anybody see a path down yet? No, so we need to open one."
Dyen:
I'm gonna use my newfound Religion skill. Does the number 9 have any significance to old Polly?
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 14
Meredith:
"Also, the central room had an inscription. Something like finding truth beneath things. There is a puzzle here, but it's hidden."
Phulax:
"Well, let's go to room number one, I guess. It should be to our west."
Dyen:
"Did you look under the sheet?"
Meredith:
"And I guess it is hidden under things put here to tempt us in particular."
thuryl:
Dyen remembers that the number 9 is sometimes used by followers of Phol-Phoram to represent completeness.
Phulax:
I go to the room I think corresponds to 1 on the grid and look around.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 5
Meredith:
"1 was the middle-west."
thuryl:
Phulax travels to the western room and examines the dragon statue. It's a bit taller than he is, very well-made and if not constructed of solid gold, then at least of an alloy with a fair bit of gold in it. There doesn't seem to be anything else of note in the room.
Meredith:
I examine the dragon. Does it move? Can it be turned? Does it have any hidden mechanisms I might be able to trigger?
* Meredith rolls: d20 => 9
Dyen:
( I wanna use Feeling the Way on everything, but I feel like it would be cheating.)
Lephista:
Alchemy check on the bottles in this room. Can I tell what the liquids in them are?
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 8
Dyen:
I'm going to sift through this pile of treasure.
thuryl:
Meredith examines the statue carefully, and notices the word "THE" inscribed in small letters on the inside of one of the dragon's legs.
Phulax:
I stare at the dragon statue for a while.
"Huh. I have no idea what to make of this."
Meredith:
""The"?"
Phulax:
I proceed to room number 2 and examine it.
Lephista:
"Maybe the second word is in room 2."
thuryl:
Lephista examines the bottles. They seem to be a wide range of potions with different properties. Some heal the drinker, some restore stamina, others temporarily enhance physical or mental strength.
Phulax searches the second room. There's nothing here except for the pool of water, and there are no obvious inscriptions around the edges of it.
Phulax:
I look into the pool.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 9
Lephista:
Can I see the bottom clearly?
thuryl:
It's a little hard to make out what if anything it says from here, but there seems to be something carved into the bottom of the pool in one corner.
Lephista:
How deep is it?
Phulax:
I cast Spyglass to see the spot that looks carved.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 10
thuryl:
It looks to be only a few feet deep.
Dyen:
I'm going to continue sifting through this pile of treasure.
Lephista:
I climb in, and swim to the bottom to examine that corner.
Phulax:
Or, you could dive in.
thuryl:
Phulax places a scrying portal at the bottom of the pool, and sees the word "KEYS" inscribed in the stone at the base.
Phulax:
"This one says KEYS."
thuryl:
Meanwhile, Lephista dives into the water, swims down to the bottom and sees the same thing. She also feels her wounds healing as she does so.
Lephista:
***Lephista is healed and gains 6 hit points.***
Phulax:
"Perhaps each room has a word and all together we'll find out how to advance?"
thuryl:
Are you looking for anything in particular, Dyen, or just grabbing treasure at random?
Dyen:
Well, not grabbing.
Meredith:
"That seems to be the case, yes, Phulax."
Dyen:
Looking through it.
Phulax:
"Room #3 is the northeasternmost chamber."
Dyen:
For anything of note.
Lephista:
"Seems like. Also, this water is *excellent.*"
Dyen:
Roll?
thuryl:
Sure.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 11
Phulax:
"The water is 'excellent'? How so?"
Lephista:
"Like, imagine a massage in liquid form. It seriously feels amazing."
I get out and follow the others.
Phulax:
"Interesting. But... I wonder if it doesn't represent some form of temptation as well?"
thuryl:
Dyen is no appraiser, but everything in the treasure room seems to be valuable. He also notices the word "REST" inscribed on the inside of one of the large crowns.
Phulax:
I examine the book and table room.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 12
Dyen:
"Huh."
I toss it back on the pile.
thuryl:
The book and table room in the northeast is, in fact, filled with bookshelves and tables. The books seem to detail various topics, including the history of Mote, magic and alchemy. The word "TO" is inscribed underneath the table in one corner.
Phulax:
"The keys to... is what we have so far."
"Anyone felt especially tempted by anything in here?"
Dyen:
"What are we looking for? Words?"
Phulax:
"Yes. Words words words."
Dyen:
"I found a crown with REST in it in the treasure room."
Meredith:
"THat one was room 8, right?"
Phulax:
"Following the rooms in the order the grid gave, we've got 'The keys to'."
Dyen:
"5."
Phulax:
"Four is the first room we entered."
Lephista:
I search the altar room for any writing we may have missed before.
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 5
Phulax:
I look around to anything interesting too.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 6
Dyen:
I'm gonna try and read these runed around the platform here.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 14
thuryl:
Lephista and Phulax examine the altar room, but don't see any words they missed. Meanwhile, Dyen examines the gold platform and finds that while the runes themselves seem merely decorative, the word "IS" is scratched in small letters between two of them.
Dyen:
Aaaaaand what's under giant gold curtain number 1?
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 12
Phulax:
"I'm stumped in here. There must be a word, though. Hey, anyone else want to bring a fresh pair of eyes in here?"
thuryl:
Dyen lifts the gold sheet and finds the word "BETWEEN" inscribed on the stone underneath it.
Jarrox:
"Fresh set of eyes for what?" I sip a little on the hip flask.
Phulax:
"Looking for a word. Somewhere in this room."
Jarrox:
I look at the tablet infront of me with the writing and numbers on it. "I see writing right there."
Dyen:
Looking through these bottles. Anything on the bottom of one or something?
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 19
Phulax:
"Huh... looking beneath the surface... could it be literal?" Are either the tablet or the altar moveable?
Lephista:
"Well, we need just one word." Is one word of the inscription in here larger or set apart or something?
thuryl:
Dyen searches through the bottles, and quickly notices that the word "WHAT" is inscribed on the inner bottom surface of the southwestern chest.
Lephista examines the inscription on the tablet, but doesn't see anything that jumps out at her.
Dyen:
"I found three more words, guys."
"Between what is, in six seven and eight."
thuryl:
Phulax tries to push aside the top of the altar, and sure enough finds that it shifts slightly in one direction. On the surface beneath is written the word "HOPE".
Meredith:
"So we have "the keys to hope rest between what is...""
Phulax:
"The keys to hope rest between what is...room nine."
Dyen:
I go crawling over the tomb, looking for a word hidden in the grooves or on the statue.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 12
Phulax:
"Dyen! Show some respect for... whatever."
Jarrox:
"The keys to hope rest between what is drinkable? What are you all going on about?" I follow after them.
Meredith:
"Is that really the best way you could go about that?"
Dyen:
"The test is about temptation, not respect."
thuryl:
Dyen examines the dragon statue decorating the tomb, and notices the word "VISIBLE" inscribed on the underside of one wing.
Dyen:
"Might not even be a real tomb."
Phulax:
"The keys to hope rest between what is visible."
"I must say, I don't find that a terribly helpful clue."
Lephista:
"Between what is visible? What the hells does that mean?"
Baxa:
"Well, there's a whole lot of visible things here. We just have to look between all of them, right?"
Jarrox:
"I can't see through the walls."
"I can't see through my legs either."
Phulax:
"Something like that. What is visible? What about what is invisible?"
Meredith:
"Don't worry, Jarrox, there's nothing there."
Dyen:
I inspect the hallway around me very thoroughly.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 14
Phulax:
I return to the central room to think.
Lephista:
"Hmm. These rooms are oddly shaped. You could easily fit stuff into the walls between them."
thuryl:
Dyen examines the hallway and notices a faint doorway-shaped outline in the south wall.
Phulax:
"Oddly shaped? They all look rather regular and rectangular to me..."
Meredith:
"Square rooms are odd?"
Jarrox has connected.
Phulax:
"Yes, or square."
Dyen:
"Oooh. I found a door!"
Phulax:
"What?"
Lephista:
"Well, what I meant w- hey, a door!"
Phulax:
I hurry to Dyen's voice.
Dyen:
I push on it, or if that fails, look around for something to open it with.
Phulax:
"...I don't see a door."
Dyen:
I trace the outline for Phulax.
Phulax:
"Oh! There!"
thuryl:
As Dyen pushes firmly on the doorway, it swings open.
Meredith:
"Ladies first?"
Dyen:
"Elves are quite ladylike."
Dyen:
I push the lever.
thuryl:
Dyen and Meredith head into the secret room, and see a small golden lever set into one wall.
Lephista:
"Your skin's too soft."
Meredith:
"Not at all gentelemanly-like, though"
thuryl:
Dyen pulls it, and hears a grinding noise from somewhere to the north.
Dyen:
"They taught manners at the other monastery."
Phulax:
"So what did we find?"
Dyen:
"You know, the one that wasn't the ruins of my hometown."
Lephista:
"A lever. Naturally, we pulled it immediately."
Phulax:
"Of course."
thuryl:
Phulax, still in the northern room, sees a section of the north wall slide away.
Phulax:
"Hey! The wall opened!"
Dyen:
"Hmmm. That doesn't look inviting."
Lephista:
"Hey, quick theological discussion. We're sure it's wrong to take stuff from this test, right?"
thuryl:
A blast of warm, stale air, smelling of death and decay, hits you as you approach the newly-opened passage. The floor seems to be made of some kind of strange fleshy substance, covered in bony protrusions. If you look closely, you think you can see some of them twitching slightly.
Phulax:
"There are two things that bother me with this. Well, lots more than two things bother me, but two I want to mention."
Meredith:
"I'd hazard a guess at yes, Lephista."
Lephista:
*sigh* I guess you're probably right."
Baxa:
"I think I liked this test better than I'm gonna like the next one."
Phulax:
"First, the clues said there were keys. We didn't find any, just a single lever. Second, what was the temptation?"
Meredith:
"Well, I mean, feel free to try. But the bony, fleshy floor monster might want to take them back."
Siana:
"What, massive amounts of gold isn't enough temptation for you?"
Phulax:
"In a place like this? No, not really."
Dyen:
"Not when we get an all-powerful wish, no."
Lephista:
"Maybe we could search some more walls. I'm tempted to find another way out of here."
Dyen:
"I'd recommend that as well."
Lephista:
I search the south wall for doors and stuff.
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 6
Dyen:
What about this hallway?
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 10
thuryl:
Now that they know what to look for, Lephista and Dyen both manage to find secret passageways in their respective walls.
Phulax:
I join in checking for more hidden doors.
Lephista:
"Hey look, another lever!"
I pull it.
Jarrox:
***Jarrox is healed and gains 6 hit points.***
Dyen:
Pull the lever!
Jarrox:
***Jarrox gains 3 stamina.***
Phulax:
...
(I'm glad Phulax has no idea, in character, what Jarrox is doing.)
thuryl:
Lephista and Dyen pull their levers, and you hear further noises from the north.
Lephista:
(Oh gods, he drank the potions.)
Phulax:
I look for doors.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 1
Phulax:
...
(Make this good.)
thuryl:
Phulax examines the walls around him as carefully as he can, but he can't for the life of him find anything.
Dyen:
And I look for a passage here as well.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 15
Jarrox:
***Jarrox is healed and gains 5 hit points.***
Jarrox:
***Jarrox gains 3 stamina.***
Phulax:
"Hey, umm, someone else want to come look for doors? I can't quite seem remember how you found them."
thuryl:
Dyen searches for a passage, but is pretty sure there's none to be found at his current location.
Jarrox:
"Dyen, you need to try some of these bottles." I hand him one of the few that I didn't drink.
Phulax:
(Ironic that I can't find a door, for a character whose name means Gate-guard)
Lephista:
I search the south wall. Take 10?
Dyen:
". . . What do they do?"
thuryl:
Lephista searches the south wall, and sure enough, finds another hidden door.
Phulax:
"Good job Lephista! ...why didn't I see that? Weird."
Lephista:
I pull the lever!
Jarrox:
"Well, I feel better than I ever have since I got here. And I don't feel quite so drunk but I'm not sure if that's a good thing."
Lephista:
"Yeah, weird."
Phulax:
I go back toward the north.
thuryl:
Lephista pulls the fourth lever. Meredith, standing in front of the northern exit, notices that the fleshy, bony mass to the north seems to have stopped twitching and undulating, perhaps in response to whatever Lephista did.
Dyen:
"Well, one thing I could definitely use is feeling better."
Jarrox:
"Here, just try one." I offer the bottle to Dyen once more.
Dyen:
I drink the bottle the Jarrox offers me.
Meredith:
"Hey, whatever you did, you made it stop moving, so good job."
thuryl:
Dyen drinks the potion, and feels much better.
Dyen:
***Dyen is healed and gains 6 hit points.***
Phulax:
"Well, it doesn't look like the corridor will try to eat us now."
Lephista:
"Yeah, the hallway's less disturbing now."
Dyen:
"Mmm, man, these are nice."
Phulax:
"Where are Jarrox and Dyen?"
Meredith:
"Where are the other two?"
Jarrox:
I start to stuff the bottles into my pack.
Lephista:
*sigh* "Why am I always the babysitter?"
Dyen:
"You might wanna go for a swim in the pool to the north, too, it's the same sort of stuff."
Phulax:
"Jarrox!! Dyen!!"
Dyen:
"What?!"
Phulax:
"Where are youuuuuu?"
Jarrox:
I toss out my magic cooking pot to make room for them all.
Meredith:
"Because if I were in charge of them. I'd have killed them already."
Phulax:
"We found all the 'keys to hope,' ...I hope."
Lephista:
"Here you a- sweet Mariona, what are you doing?"
Phulax:
"Really, Meredith, I'm a little surprised Jarrox and Dyen are still alive. Both... tend to live dangerously."
Dyen:
"Getting better."
thuryl:
Lephista arrives to find Jarrox bundling potions from the chests into his backpack, even discarding other stuff to make room.
Dyen:
"You look like you could use a shot or two yourself."
"They're healing potions, I think."
"At least mine was."
Meredith:
"You mean they're both idiots. Yeah, you're right. I'm half-tempted to press on, but Lephista would probably kill me if she ever caught up with me."
Lephista:
"I know damned well what the potions do. I'm an alchemist."
Jarrox:
"They are wonderful is what they are, help me fill up my pack."
Lephista:
"The point is, we had this whole conversation about temptation. You know, temptation? The thing that makes you want to shove stuff into your pack by the armful?"
Jarrox:
"And what were you saying about water Dyen? Think we could fill up one of my ale-skins with it?"
Dyen:
"I just drank some."
"I'm not taking any."
"Can't be any worse than using the pool up there."
Jarrox:
"No worries, I got some for everyone that wants it."
Dyen:
"Jarrox, Polly is going to murder us all if we take anything."
Lephista:
"Look, I don't get how this works, but I know my cousin Paronos insulted Phol-Phoram once, and then two weeks later he fell off a cliff."
Phulax:
"I wonder if something has happened. Should we go check on them Mer?"
Dyen:
"So I would put those back."
Jarrox:
"Take anything? We are almost dead as it is, we need all the help we can get."
Meredith:
I roll my eyes. "I suppose so."
Dyen:
"But we aren't dead yet."
"We will be if we take anything that we find here."
Lephista:
"Oh, hey guys. Jarrox is looting."
Phulax:
"What? Oh dear."
Jarrox:
I empty one of my ale-skins on the ground. "Now let's go get some of this water you were talking about."
Dyen:
"I'm reasonably sure that that would also count as taking."
Meredith:
"...Jarrox, you idiot."
thuryl:
Jarrox empties out his aleskin. The smell of alcohol pervades the room even more than it already did thanks to Jarrox's mere presence.
Lephista:
I hold my breath.
Jarrox:
"Now that smells."
Lephista:
Because, you know, dragonborn. :P
Phulax:
"Great. I hope we don't all get zapped or exploded or something."
Jarrox:
"Lead the way to the water Dyen."
Meredith:
I stand in the way.
"How about you don't steal anything else from this test?"
Phulax:
"What's going on here?"
Dyen:
"It's just down that hallway."
I point to the pool.
Meredith:
If either Jarrox or Dyen try to pass I stop them.
Phulax:
"I hope, if there are punishments here, that the test respects personal integrity, and doesn't punish our entire group."
Dyen:
"I'm actually kind of interested in what will happen, myself."
Lephista:
Religion check: is there some kind of standard etiquette for situations like this?
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 12
Meredith:
"I think my integrity is compromised by just associating with you lot."
Jarrox:
"Why would we be punished? These were all put here to help us out."
Phulax:
Does Jarrox still have filched potions?
thuryl:
Well, you didn't see him take them out of his pack after stuffing them in there, so presumably.
Dyen:
"Actually, they were put here to see if you would take them."
Phulax:
I cast teleport...on the contents of Jarrox's pack. Out onto the ground.
* Phulax rolls: 20 => 20
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 15
Phulax:
(Missed the D on the first roll)
thuryl:
Lephista remembers that ascetics of Phol-Phoram who feel that they have become too attached to the material world will often engage in a nine-day ritual fast. This might not be the best time for that, though.
Jarrox:
"Of course I would take them. What kind of idiots wouldn't take all the help they can get?"
Dyen:
"The ones who realize that this test is a test of the will to resist temptation. Like not taking helpful things."
thuryl:
Phulax casts a teleportation spell, and nine potion bottles warp out of Jarrox's pack and onto the floor, along with a small pile of gold coins and jewellery, with the rest of Jarrox's possessions lying underneath.
Phulax:
I take the potions and put them back in a chest.
Dyen:
I cast Glimpse of Oblivion on Jarrox now.
Phulax:
Then I help repack Jarrox's pack with his own stuff.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 13
Phulax:
...
Jarrox:
"Why does my pack feel so light?"
Phulax:
(WHAT???)
Dyen:
(We can carry him, right?)
Jarrox: (I hope that 13 was better then a 20.)
thuryl:
Jarrox is affected by Dyen's spell, not for the first time, and reels back, momentarily dazed by the revelation of what it means to be Jarrox.
Jarrox:
*** Jarrox loses 1 stamina.***
Phulax:
...
Dyen:
I gently push him out of the room, to the north.
Phulax:
Once I finish stowing Jarrox's possessions back in his pack, I take him by the arm try to guide out of the room.
"Come, Jarrox, off we go."
Jarrox:
"I..I..." I put a an ale-skin to my lips and tip it back drinking it all it.
Phulax:
I try to pull Jarrox along (strength check?)
Jarrox:
Or as much of a mouthful as I can I guess.
thuryl:
Jarrox is somehow even drunker than before, and now has chemical burns in his throat and upper gastrointestinal tract from drinking an entire aleskin full of pure alcohol at once.
Jarrox:
*** Jarrox loses 3 hit points.***
Phulax:
...
Jarrox:
"I don't feel zo good."
Lephista:
"You don't look so good, either."
Phulax:
I shake my head sadly. "What a waste."
Lephista:
First Aid to, uh, jeez, I don't even know what you'd do about this. :P
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 19
thuryl:
Lephista calms Jarrox down and prevents him from vomiting, which would only have caused even more damage.
Jarrox:
***Jarrox is healed and gains 1 hit points.***
Jarrox:
*Burp* "Thankz"
I sway a little.
Meredith:
"Lets go, people!"
Lephista:
"I'd hate to be Phol-Phoram right now, and have to think of something to do to you worse than what you do to yourself."
Phulax:
I lay my hands on Jarrox's shoulders, and teleport him to the tomb room.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 18
Phulax:
"Now hopefully we can go before he does more damage."
Lephista:
I drink enough healing and stamina potions to bring myself to full, then catch up with the others.
Jarrox:
"AHHHH!"
thuryl:
Jarrox blinks away, and reappears in front of the northern exit.
thuryl:
Lephista - your own potions, or the potions from the chests?
Lephista:
From the chests.
Phulax:
"Hah. So the others went on. Figures."
Meredith:
"I knew that'd happen!"
Lephista:
"Suits me fine. Let them struggle with the next one for a change."
thuryl:
Okay, you're the boss. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.
Lephista:
***Lephista is healed and gains 26 hit points.***
Lephista:
***Lephista gains 6 stamina.***
Phulax:
"If not taking advantage of all the nice stuff here isn't a temptation, I don't know what is."
Lephista:
(Oh, sure, NOW you give vague warnings not to do that. :P)
Meredith:
(dude, you really thought you'd be okay using them?)
Meredith:
I head north.
Jarrox:
(I am not walking on a floor that has teeth.)
Phulax:
I follow Meredith.
thuryl:
Meredith heads north across the, uh, floor.
Lephista:
(Whatever the consequence is, I doubt it will deal more than 26 damage. :P)
Phulax:
"Jarrox, come!"
Meredith:
(unless it's like in Indy 3 - it only works within the test, you lose the 26, and then get punished  )
thuryl:
She soon comes to a large open chamber with some kind of gigantic mouth in the middle, surrounded by rows of massive, sharp, filthy teeth. It opens and closes hungrily.
Jarrox:
I sway as I look at the floor. "No way, that does not look that something I should walk on, or anyone should walk on."
Meredith:
"Well that's disgusting."
I make a quick sketch of it in my notes.
thuryl:
You hear a low, rumbling voice emanating from the mouth: "Sacrifice... sacrifice..."
Phulax:
Strength to pull Jarrox along.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 9
Hirst:
"So here we are, then. I knew we'd come to this, sooner or later."
Lephista:
"Uh, anybody know anything about Hurak?"
thuryl:
Phulax attempts to drag the uncooperative Jarrox along, with little success.
Jarrox:
I resist being pulled out on the floor of doom.
* Jarrox rolls: d20 => 12
Phulax:
...
Lephista:
"I mean, I used to know some rough people, but Hurak-worship was a bit much even for us. Uh, no offense!"
Phulax:
"You won't get to make a wish if you don't come."
Meredith:
Religion check, what do I know of Hurak?
Hirst:
"Hurak demands an offering before we may pass."
* Meredith rolls: d20 => 1
Meredith:
(oh, 2 in a session?)
Jarrox:
"I'll come at my own pace."
Lephista:
"I see. So, what, blood?"
Dyen:
"Shall we draw straws, then? I do not doubt that Hurak tests us in this manner."
Jarrox:
I put one foot on the floor of doom to see what it does to me.
Dyen:
"Though this may not be the test of Hurak."
Phulax:
Perception on the mouth/floor.
thuryl:
Meredith remembers the many horrors that have been committed in the name of Hurak, notices several chewed-up body parts strewn around the room she's in right now, feels the "ground" shift under her feet, and briefly enters a state of catatonia from shock.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 4
Dyen:
"Phol-Phoram is subtle."
Meredith:
*** Meredith loses 1 stamina.***
Phulax:
"Meredith, what happened? Are you all right?"
Dyen:
"This may be her true test."
Hirst:
"A life is the most suitable sacrifice. Possessions may also be sacrificed, but I cannot guarantee that they will be as well received."
Phulax:
"No Dyen, the clues said Hurak would require the sacrifice."
"How do you know this, Hirst?"
Lephista:
"Sacrificing a life is out of the question."
Dyen:
"Hold."
Meredith:
"I... no... I just... The truest test is getting this far without Jarrox killing us." I smile weakly.
Dyen:
I cast Feeling the Way on the mouth.
* Dyen rolls: d20 => 18
Hirst:
"I... studied the teachings of Hurak, in an attempt to find some way to restore my wife to health."
Dyen:
"Hurak is not a healer."
thuryl:
Dyen feels an all-consuming hunger from the mouth.
Hirst:
"He is not. But sometimes, he bestows upon his followers protection from certain illnesses. For a price."
Phulax:
"How can we know what sacrifice is adequate?"
Dyen:
"Protection is not healing either."
"We might feed it to the last man without success."
Hirst:
Hirst glares at Dyen with cold fury in his eyes. "What would you have had me do? Stand by and let her waste away?"
Meredith:
"How about we sacrfice something important to ourselves? It fits the theme of the last test, too."
Dyen:
"Sometimes one must submit to fate."
Phulax:
I reach into a concealed pouch within my cloak, and draw out my money pouch. I cast it and 100 gold coins inside into the maw.
Lephista:
"All right." I take my axe, and toss it into the mouth.
Dyen:
"Sometimes there is nothing to do but accept."
Lephista:
"I've been carrying that for too long already."
Meredith:
I take the notes I've made about the city so far, and cast them into the mouth.
thuryl:
Phulax throws in a pouch of money, and Lephista throws in her axe. They both disappear into the gaping maw. You all hear the grinding of metal on stone somewhere far below.
thuryl:
Meredith discards her notebook, which the maw hungrily accepts.
Dyen:
(I don't have an inventory.)
Siana:
"Are you all insane? We're just going to throw our most prized possessions into this... this thing?"
Meredith:
"You can wish for them back, idiot."
thuryl:
(Well, you do have that one weird herbal-scented bottle you picked up way back near the start of the trials.)
Lephista:
"You'd best hurry, before Jarrox decides you're his favorite companion."
Dyen:
I throw that in!
Yay for contributing.
thuryl:
Dyen throws the bottle in, and hears shattering glass from below.
Siana:
"Can't we just get away with throwing in some random junk?"
Dyen:
And I throw the bottle of Green from Tannan's test at it.
thuryl:
More throwing bottles in, more breaking glass.
Dyen:
"They're just falling through."
"It isn't eating."
Ilestro:
"So, I'm supposed to throw my sword in, am I?"
Meredith:
"Ours didn't."
"Those were junk, not true sacrfices, Dyen."
Ilestro:
"Leave myself defenceless against whatever is ahead of us?"
Dyen:
"Well, it's the only things I have to sacrifice."
Phulax:
(Which things has the maw accepted?)
thuryl:
Well, it's pretty continuously making chewing motions.
Meredith:
"You could always renounce your faith."
Dyen:
"That's food now, is it?"
Baxa:
"Well, here goes nothin'."
thuryl:
Baxa takes an alchemical kit and several potions out of her backpack, and hurls them into the maw. They disappear from sight, and you hear more shattering and grinding noises.
Phulax:
"Crunchies."
"Who is left?"
Siana:
"If we die because you just threw away our healing potions, I'm going to haunt you forever."
Lephista:
"Jarrox."
Dyen:
"Jarrox's booze."
Lephista:
"Oh gods, we're screwed."
Meredith:
"Aww, I was hoping he'd fallen in love with Siana so we could toss her in."
Ilestro:
"To hell with this. If it wants to eat, I'll feed it!" Ilestro takes some dried meat out of his pack and throws it into the maw.
Lephista:
"It's no good, Mer. He'll probably wish her back to life."
Siana:
"I'm with you. Maybe the rest of you are stupid, but I'm giving just enough that it counts and no more." Siana tosses a single gold coin into the maw.
Phulax:
"Oh no. Where is Jarrox?"
Lephista:
"Jarrox!"
Phulax:
"JARROOOOOOOOOOOXXX!" I shout.
Hirst:
"So... a sacrifice is required from me. But what price is worthy of such a great reward? I must think carefully - I cannot afford to fail."
Hirst:
"Mere possessions seem inadequate. And I only have one other thing to offer..."
Phulax:
"Did you see him, Lephista?"
Lephista:
"No."
Phulax:
"Odd. Well, if he's hiding from us, maybe he'll come back out. Otherwise...what can we do?"
I return to Hurak's chamber.
thuryl:
Hirst steps closer to the maw, leans over and lowers his right arm into it.
Phulax:
"Hirst!"
Lephista:
"Hirst!"
Phulax:
I look away.
Dyen:
"Hirst. . ."
Lephista:
I rush over, and try to pull him clear before he's hurt too badly.
thuryl:
Rows of teeth close around it, tearing it off at the shoulder. Hirst withdraws the stump from the maw: surprisingly, instead of bleeding profusely it's releasing only a trickle of dark liquid, like sap from a cut tree branch.
Phulax:
I try to administer first aid.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 9
thuryl:
The rest of you pull him away from the edge of the maw, and Phulax begins to bind his wound.
Meredith:
"Hey, why isn't he bleeding?"
Phulax:
"This is no ordinary wound, Meredith."
"Hirst, how do you feel? Are you still with us?"
Hirst:
"Don't worry about me. This body will fail me soon anyway. Years of practicing forbidden magic have taken their toll. All I need... is to go on long enough to receive one miracle..."
Dyen:
"I thank you for your dedication nonetheless."
thuryl:
Hirst's sacrifice seems to have satisfied the maw. Its movements calm down, and a section of the wall to the east begins to crumble away.
Meredith:
"You do realise your wife may be cured, but she'll live a long and miserable life, don't you?"
"I mean, since you're going to die."
Phulax:
"Meredith!" I look aghast.
"Do you need help walking, Hirst?"
Meredith:
"What?"
Hirst:
"I chose my path long ago. There is nothing else I can do but see it through to the end."
Meredith:
I nod.
Hirst:
"As I said, you need have no concern for me. I can continue on a little longer."
Phulax:
"Let us go on, then."
Lephista:
"You guys check out the next test. I'm going to go look for Jarrox again."
Siana:
"We signed up to travel with THIS crazy bastard? Those 'miracles' had better be worth it!"
Lephista:
"Jaaaaarox!"
Phulax:
"WEEEE'RRRRRREEEE LEEEEEEEEEAVVVING NOOOOOOOOOOW!"
Phulax:
I frown sadly, and turn back.
"No sign of Jarrox; perhaps he fled."
Lephista:
"There you are! What are you doing back here?"
Dyen:
"Hope it wasn't my fault."
Lephista:
Uh, is he awake?
thuryl:
Jarrox is standing in the tunnel, holding his axe and shield at the ready.
Jarrox:
"Get back, I'll kill you!" I hold my axe and shield ready to kill if anyone gets within my reach. "Meredith ain't feeding me to some floor just so she can think she's superior then everyone else. Back I say, back!"
Phulax:
"It's his choice; we can't force him to continue, or to make a sacrifice."
Lephista:
I step back. "Take it easy, Jarrox. The cave is safe. It looks bad, but everyone has walked across it already."
Jarrox:
"Meredith's had it out for me from the start, now she wants to feed me to the floor."
I still keep my axe and shield up.
Lephista:
"Nobody is going to feed you to the floor. You trust me, don't you?"
Jarrox:
"Yes, but I ain't going to be her sacrifice for some wish."
Phulax:
Wondering why Lephista hasn't come back yet, I wander out to the previous test yet again.
thuryl:
Jarrox, Lephista, I'll need rolls from both of you.
* Jarrox rolls: d20 => 17
Phulax:
"LephistAAAAAAAAA!!!"
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 4
Phulax:
"I hope something bad hasn't happened..."
Jarrox:
I turn around.
"Oh gods..."
Lephista:
". . . what?"
Jarrox:
I run like an dwarf on steroids.
Lephista:
Resconjure minor, a bronze axe:
thuryl:
Jarrox runs to the north as fast as his stubby legs will carry him.
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 1
Phulax:
...
Lephista:
(oh dear)
Jarrox:
"THEY BE A COMING FOR ME!"
thuryl:
Lephista summons a small, sharp shard of metal and reflexively clutches it in her hand. The result is painful.
Jarrox:
I don't stop running.
Lephista:
*** Lephista loses 1 hit points.***
Meredith:
"Oh, hello Jarrox. Decide to join us?"
Lephista:
Can I see what Jarrox saw?
Jarrox:
I just run past as fast as the my little legs can go.
Meredith:
"Err, okay then."
Phulax:
"Jarrox, what happened? Where's Lephista?"
Lephista:
Enhanced avian, sparrow.
* Lephista rolls: d20 => 10
thuryl:
Lephista summons a small, mildly intelligent-looking sparrow.
Phulax:
I try to reach out with my portal making ability, and sense Lephista, and teleport her to my location.
* Phulax rolls: d20 => 14
Lephista:
"Wait here until you see someone coming. Then find me and report." I run north.
Jarrox:
"Don't. Know. Just. Run." I pant as I run.
thuryl:
Lephista leaves the sparrow behind to scout, just as Phulax teleports her to rejoin him.
Phulax:
"There you are! What's happening?"
Lephista:
"Lots of footsteps, coming up behind. I left a scout to tell us more. Let's hurry."
thuryl:
OK, everyone, hold on. We're going to a new map.
Meredith:
"Oh, goody."
Jarrox:
"Running. Running, Running" I wabble ahead of everyone, little legs wearing out from moving my body so fast.
Lephista:
"Jarrox, slow down!"
"There could be danger ahead. I left a messenger behind to warn us if anything approaches."
Jarrox:
I bend over on my knees and pant. "It's King Soup, I'll be damned if he gets my wish."
thuryl:
You all descend down the wide staircase, which eventually ends at a landing. You step out onto it and see that you are on a platform extending high above a wide, deep pool of rippling water. If you fell in, even if you somehow survived the fall, there's no obvious way to get back up.
Lephista:
"We could defend this bridge against many, if we had to."
"Maybe I'd better guard the rear."
Phulax:
I approach the center of the platform and examine it.
Jarrox:
"Or I could wish King Soup and his army away."
I look at Lephista, "With what?"
thuryl:
You continue further on along the suspended walkway. At its end is a large circular platform, held up by enormous pillars leading into the ceiling. At the centre of the circle is an unassuming block of moss-covered stone, about four feet high and ten feet across, in the shape of an eight-pointed star.
From the north, you see Lephista's sparrow return to you. It blurts out words in a panic. "Goblins! Lots of them! And a dragonborn and some kind of turtle thing! Threw things at me! Just got away!" It then circles around Lephista's head a couple of times before blinking back to wherever it came from.
Phulax:
"How did they get through the test??"
thuryl:
As the bird disappears, you hear heavy footsteps descending down the staircase to your north.
End session.