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1 year ago ::
May 09, 2012 - 8:55AM
#1
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SHATTERSTONE With a heavy thud the winch platform comes to a stop at the bottom of the shaft. Seventy feet or more below their comrades on the Crypt level up above, Wilem and Jaana and Harn can't help but feel a little uneasy and isolated as they dismount the lift. Hundreds of feet of earth and stone separate them from warmth and daylight on the surface world above, and if news and rumors holds any truth, orcish bandits await on every side in this deep subterranean dungeon. The men waste no time moving to the winch machine so they can lift the elevator again and bring their friends down to join them. Jaana, in the meantime, takes stock of their new surroundings. Like the two elavator chambers before, this one full of crates, barrels, and leather bags piled along the walls. Two shafts pass through the center of the room: one, leading up, that the heroes descended through; the other, leading yet further down, choked with rubble about ten feet below the level of the floor, utterly impassable. A little trickle of water runs out from underneath the western wall, some of it dribbling down into the rubble down the blocked shaft, some flowing across the cobblestones and slipping under a door in the eastern wall. In addition to the door on the east, there is a large double doorway to the west, blocked by stacks of crates and probably little used, and one to the north, with signs of recent passage. The crates and barrels piled in the southwest corner in front of the door are filled with clothing, round wooden shields, tough leather jerkins, and some steel half-helms. The line of boxes arranged along the eastern wall and much lighter, filled with blankets and rough woven cloth, still untailored. I'm trying out a new map format, just to see if it works any better. I'm not really sure that it's an improvement, but if it doesn't work out I can always switch back.
Map: Shatterstone
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SHATTERSTONE
|-- A B C D E F G H I J K L M
|29|. . . . . . . . . . . . .
|30|. . . . . ? ? ? . . . . .
|31|. . . x x x|D|x x x x . .
|32|. . . x|‘ . . . . ‘|x . .
|33|. . . x|‘ . # # @ ‘|x . .
|34|. . . x|. . # # @ ‘|x . .
|35|. . . x|. . ~ a . ‘|x . .
|36|. . . x|~ ~ . . . .|x ? .
|37|. . . x|. . ~ ~ ~ ~D~ ? .
|38|. . ? x|‘ . . . w .|x ? .
|39|. ? ? D ‘ ‘ g j @ s|x . .
|40|. ? ? D ‘ ‘ f x @ h|x . .
|41|. . ? x x x x x x x x . .
|42|. . . . . . . . . . . . .
x = wall (blocking terrain)
D = door (blocking terrain; standard action to open)
# = shaft leading down
+ = winch platform, underneath shaft leading up
@ = winch machine (blocking terrain)
’ = crates, boxes, barrels, bags (difficult terrain)
~ = trickle of water (normal terrain)
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1 year ago ::
May 14, 2012 - 5:50PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Oct 31, 2007
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Jadeth grins reassuringly at Xikel-Dham, which doesn’t seem to reassure the troglodyte very much, though he remains silent. Still, she eagerly looks around as they descend, and once they reach the bottom, she steps off the lift and moves to look over the various crates and inspect things. She motions the troglodyte over and tells him to go ahead and pick out any armor or anything that appeals to him in the crates. Her intention is to make certain he is well supplied so that he has the best chance of surviving. She has plans for him and dying isn’t one of them.
“It looks like they are well supplied down here. I hope that doesn’t prove too big a problem for us.” She spots something that the orcs somehow overlooked, probably because it is in a small, plain box with a pepper tree stamped on the front. It doesn’t look as if it holds anything much and when she opens it, she smiles. It is a nice blend of pepper spices, meant to be used as a rub on meats and in stews. She saw the cook use it a few times during those weeks she was with the caravan. It is obvious he won’t need it anymore and she drops it into a side pocket of her pack.
Do NOT meddle in the affairs of dragons; for you are crunchy and go good with ketchup
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1 year ago ::
May 15, 2012 - 7:05AM
#3
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While Jadeth rummages a little through the bandits' pilfered supplies, Jaana tries some of the doors. The exit to the east opens to a narrow corridor that's choked with rubble after only fifteen feet or so. The little trickle of water seems to find its way through the cracks and crannies between the rocks, but it's doubtful the heroes could. The doorway to the north is made of stone and swings slowly open to show another slender passageway that turns sharply east. It soon widens into a bigger artery, though, with a heavy double door to the east and another to the north.
Here's the hand-drawn map that Jadeth acquired from Lazzarin Geld earlier in the adventure, reposted for your convenience.Image: Shatterstone Dungeon Map (Level 1)
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Map: Shatterstone
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SHATTERSTONE
|-- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O
|26|. . . . . . . . . ? ? . . . .
|27|. . . . . . . . ? ? ? ? . . .
|28|. . . . . . . . x|D D|x x ? .
|29|. . . . x x x x x|. . . .D? ?
|30|. . . . x|a . . . . . . .D? ?
|31|. . x x x|w|x x x x x x x ? .
|32|. . x|‘ . f g . ‘|x . . . . .
|33|. . x|‘ h # # @ ‘|x . . . . .
|34|. . x|. s # # @ ‘|x . . . . .
|35|. . x|. . ~ . . ‘|x . . . . .
|36|. . x|~ ~ . . . .|x x x x x ?
|37|. . x|j . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ " " ?
|38|. ? x|‘ x . . . .|x x x x " ?
|39|? ? D ‘ ‘ + + @ .|x . . . . .
|40|? ? D ‘ ‘ + + @ .|x . . . . .
|41|? ? x x x x x x x x . . . . .
|42|. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
x = wall (blocking terrain)
D = door (blocking terrain; standard action to open)
# = shaft leading down
+ = winch platform, underneath shaft leading up
@ = winch machine (blocking terrain)
’ = crates, boxes, barrels, bags (difficult terrain)
~ = trickle of water (normal terrain)
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1 year ago ::
May 15, 2012 - 8:58PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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Frain's eyes glimmer eagerly in the stoney depths. A little part of him wonders if he'll find the secret that he searches for here in shatterstone. His enthusiasm is obvious as he calls to his companions, "Come now ladies and gentlemen. I esense there is much for us to uncover here. Jadeth. Do you eknow something of this place or where we should a go next?"
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1 year ago ::
May 16, 2012 - 10:16AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Oct 31, 2007
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Jadeth looks up as Frain calls her name. “What,” she asks a bit distractedly. “Oh, yes. I think I have just the thing.” She pulls her backpack around, which should seem a bit fuller considering she has stuffed a few odds and ends into it. She sticks her hand in and pulls out the map case. She pulls out the stack of maps, thumbs through them, and with an Ah-ha! she pulls out the map that Lazzarin Geld drew. “This is not complete. I promised Lazzarin Geld I would add to it as we went.” She makes a notation on the map next to the shaft coming up from below, marking down that it is filled with rubble and impassable, except for water trickling down. She doesn’t actually write all of that. Instead, she uses a shorthand she has developed. She marks an arrow pointing up with the symbols for rocks next to it, then a slash with water in the form of a few small drops underneath. She marks the trail they followed with short dash marks, like tiny footprints.
She lays out the map where everyone can crowd around and see. “It looks like this way is flooded. I’m not sure how deep it is or what might be living in the water. That just leaves this way, through here and around the Crevice. I imagine that’s the way the orcs went. They didn’t strike me as a particularly clean lot so I doubt they went through this area.” She points to the flooded section of the tunnel that leads to the trolls lair.
Do NOT meddle in the affairs of dragons; for you are crunchy and go good with ketchup
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1 year ago ::
May 17, 2012 - 1:07AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Sep 17, 2010
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Gar'Glallan shivers as he looks around the room. It is chilly, and after the exertion of working the winch he finds himself quickly cooling down again. Sword in hand, he moves towards where Jadeth has spread the map out on the floor. He nods, then points with the tip of his sword. "I suggest we check the big room with the crevice first. We don't want to miss anything while we're here. The Gods know we might be back here after we take care of the Orcs. Knowing merchants, they will probably demand we take them here with a group of porters to fetch their goods back to the surface. A tedious job, but it will be gold in our pockets, that much is certain."
He smiles then, lifting his eyes to the hallway where Jaana sits crouched. "Or we can tell them to bugger off and do something more exciting. Come, let's go."
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1 year ago ::
May 17, 2012 - 9:04AM
#7
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Wilem relaxes once Jadeth and the others join him at the bottom of the shaft without incident. His shield-light does a good job of illuminating most of the room and he and the others find themselves in another storage space. They had made it to Shatterstone, though still without seeing a single orc. While Jaana checks the doors, Jadeth pulls out the map purchased from Lazzarin Geld and spreads it out over a crate. The heroes gather round to plot their next course of action. The first thing Wilem does is look for the stairs that serve as their recourse should they need to escape in a hurry and can't make it back to the winch. He points at the only stairs he can see on the map stationed across a chamber simply labeled as Troll Den. We should be mindful of our redoubts. There were stairs leading down from the winch room we descended. In the event we can't make it back that way, we need to know where to go.He looks at the rest of the map grimly, With this chamber blocked by rubble and this one here flooded, every turn we make leads to a dead end. If the orcs are here, there is no question we will find them.Both Jadeth and Gar suggest approaching the large room with the crevice in it first. Though Wilem does not like the prospect of fighting in such tight quarters with a chasm beside him, the chances that the rising darkness they are looking for is in a room with an Altar to the Reaper are favorable. Jaana takes the lead and he moves behind her, ready to slip ahead and face any danger that lurks in the darkness. Actions
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Monster Knowledge check on trolls to see what Wilem might know before we potentially face one - 20
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1 year ago ::
May 17, 2012 - 4:50PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Oct 31, 2007
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Jadeth gives Gar a serious look when he uses the tip of his sword to point stuff out on the map. If he slices her map with the tip, she will melt his sword and see how he likes it. He pulls the sword back and she starts breathing again. She tends to be a bit protective of her maps. She nods at his suggestion to check the big room with the cavern first.
Jadeth watches as they fall into their normal line-up, with Jaana leading the way and Wilem not too far behind. “Just no one fall in,” she suggests in a wry voice.
As they head off, she quickly explains things to Xikel-Dham.
Do NOT meddle in the affairs of dragons; for you are crunchy and go good with ketchup
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1 year ago ::
May 18, 2012 - 4:29PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jul 16, 2010
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Jaana is too engrossed in inspecting the crates to even hear the conversation. Mechanics
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Not a single Perception check? Really, guys... 
Search the crates and the rest of the room... Perception: 9(1d20) +14 = 23
If nothing eventful is found, cautiously head East just at the edge of the party's light.
Perception during movement: 11(1d20) +14 = 25
Stealth during movement: 1(1d20) +18 = 19 ... Uh oh.
If you need more Stealth checks, let me know.
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1 year ago ::
May 18, 2012 - 11:45PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jul 11, 2008
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Largely ignoring the others who he now considered dangerously unhinged given the leaping into the black void far above, the boar rider and the noble swine search about for spore in the areas he surmised dirty gray-skinned orcs would have trundled. Mechanics
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