IC: Vengeance of the Vanderborens

[Starhawk]

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

Tann seems anxious to keeps it short and to the point.. "Well, aside from the Ettin, the second one is a red dragon. The third monster, the fish like one, is an aboleth, who consider any other species to be nothing more than slaves. The sixth one, the big ape, is a grey render, nine feet tall and as heavy as two fully grown oxen.", she says in her deep, breathy melodramatic tones.

"I am, surprisingly, drawing a blank on the others, but I expect others in the company will be able to identify them. After all, we're not short on talent."

None 

 

 

[CharmingSatyr]

  

Calyx, Elven Warpriest (notes) AC: 17 | HP: 9/9 | Hero: 1 Fort: +3 | Ref: +4 | Will: +6 Resources | Spells | Skills

---

"Well," Calyx frowns, scratching at the back of his neck as he tries to figure things out, "my safe-dial idea doesn't work. There's only 7 creatures, and you've identified four. That leaves three remaining. However, the names on our note don't match any of your four. And there aren't enough unknowns for it to be those. So ... I think I'm out of ideas."

[Starhawk]

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

Tann rubs her chin as she considers Calyx's words. She doesn't seem in the least put off by Calyx's summation of the problem.. "Mmm.. chimera looks to sunrise, cyclops looks to sunset, medusa looks to sunrise, umber hulk looks to sunset, basilisk looks to sunrise."

Smiling faintly, she continues.. "My analysis is that the letter on the ship, is a coded reference to this mural, not a literal instruction list, that would be too easy. The connection as far as I can tell is the number of eyes. See the monsters don't translate but the commonality of eyes do. The number of eyes are the connection. So it's a puzzle to a puzzle." All this delivered almost languidly in her customary low purry, breathy contralto.

She point at the mural monsters starting with the one eyed unidentified thing.. "See the eyes in the mural are one to seven, in that order. So we just give those mural monsters a number. Then we match the eyes on the monsters on the paper to those numbers and that should deliver up the combination. Sunset and sunrises equates to opposite sides and it's clear that each step is an opposite direction, or risem as it were. So every time we move the arrow it should be in the opposite direction from the previous move. The fact that the pillar is circular means we can get to every number from two directions." Her voice starting to pick up speed, as Tann seemingly becomes more and more sure she's figured it out.

Smiling broadly now, she continues, unhurriedly, like she's got all day.. "Let me talk this through though before we move, since I'm thinking this through while speaking...", she says, holding up a hand, in a 'hold' gesture.

She points to the big gorilla.. "A chimera has six eyes, which equates to the big six eyed gorilla there. So that's the first move, moving the arrow to six. Take note of the direction, since sunrise and sunset just means go the opposite way."

She points to the tentacled monster with one eye.. "A cyclops has one eye, which equrates to the tentacled monster with the one eye. So that's the second move, reversing the direction and moving the arrow from six to one."

She then points to the dragon.. "Discounting the snake eyes, a medusa has two in her face, which here would be the dragon. So that's the third move, reversing the direction and moving the arrow from one to two."

She then points to the Etten. "An umber hulk has four eyes, which would be the giant with the two heads, which also has four eyes. So that's the fourth move, reversing the direction from two to four."

At this point she rubs her head and looks around the assembled company.. "The last move is the problem though, since I don't know how many eyes a basilisk has, so I can't match it to a mural monster. However, given that the combination has used a different number each time and we've already used one, two four and six, then my guess is the last one is three, five or seven."

All this has been delivered in the tone of someone just doing their job. She turns her head and looks at her employer, shrugs with insoucance and then.... "This is why I get paid the big bucks.", she concludes, only now starting to grin cheekily. ".. providing I'm right. "

None 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[ccanary]

Seraphina Stormborn

Seraphina Stormborn — Half-Orc Skald 1 (Fated Champion)
AC/T/FF 16/11/15 | HP 10/10 | Init +1 | Speed 20ft | Fort/Ref/Will 5/4/2 | Darkvision
Raging Song 12/12 | Hero Points 01/01
Active Conditions:
Group buffs: raging song (allies who accept gain +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.

Spells

1st: (1/2 remaining) Heightened Awareness (10 minutes), Saving Finale
Cantrips: (unl) detect magic, ghost sound, prestidigitation, read magic

On the Flirty Frigate

Seraphina had only a little to add, but it was getting close, they almost had it.

"The first one with the one eye is a roper, nasty things, but that doesn't matter. Tann has it right I think, it's all about the eyes. As for a basilisk, I've never heard of one either. Have any of you? I'm not sure there's any reason except coincidence that all the numbers have been distinct so far, but best if we know for a fact how many eyes the beastie has. As for sunrise and sunset, they're not just opposites, sun rises in the East and sets in the West, I expect that the first move should be turning the dial towards the East."

Mechanics

Temporary conditions:

• Heightened awareness (10 minutes remaining) +2 to perception and knowledge-based skills, can dismiss for +4 to initiative

I asked FieryGift and it's arcana (DC 16 I think?) to know what a basilisk is and how many eyes it has. Seraphina already botched that roll with a 6 last post, anybody got a good arcana score want to try?

AoO:
Standard:
Move:

Free:

Trained Skills

Acrobatics*	+6
Climb*	+9
Knowledge (local)	+8
Knowledge (nobility)	+6
Other knowledges (untrained)	+2
Perception	+2
Perform (Sing)	+8
Swim*	+8
* -4 ACP to str and dex skills

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by ccanary (see edit history)

[Starhawk]

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

 

"Roper huh?", responds Tann, apparently more interested in the intellectual trivia than in the vote of confidence she'd just recieved from Seraphina, judging by the way she gazes at the one eyed mural monster. She then looks around.. "So which way is East?", she asks, while pondering the topic of how many eyes a basilisk has.

Edited July 10, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[Kylia Quilor]

Current Mental Focus Investiture

3 Points Invested in Her Monocle (Divination), granting a +1 Insight bonus to Perception Checks
2 Points Invested in her Bracers (Abjuration), granting a +1 Resistance Bonus to all her saving throws.

Iridni couldn't fault the logic of where the others were taking the discussion and theorizing. Left with little else to do, she looked around the room, while thinking on the question of Basilisk eyes herself. She was loosely confident it was actually two eyes, whatever Tann's theory about not repeating numbers, but she wasn't sure offhand, such creatures rarely having been the focus of her studies.

 

[Wiz]

Alura points to the compass rose, "A compass rose usually makes north obvious, which would then give us east and west at least relative to this room."

Statblock

Alura Undertow
Female LN Merfolk (Seasinger; Secret Magic) Oracle (Ocean's Echo), [B]Level[/B] 1, [B]Init[/B] 2, [B]HP[/B] 10/10, [B]Speed[/B] 5/40
[B]AC[/B] 12, [B]Touch[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed[/B] 10, [B]CMD[/b] 11, [B]Fort[/B] 2, [B]Ref[/B] 2, [B]Will[/B] 0, [B]CMB[/B] -1, [B]Base Attack Bonus[/B] 0,   [B]Action Points[/B] 1
 (+2 Dex)
[B]Abilities[/B] Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 20

Actions

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Wiz (see edit history)

[CharmingSatyr]

  

Calyx, Elven Warpriest (notes) AC: 17 | HP: 9/9 | Hero: 1 Fort: +3 | Ref: +4 | Will: +6 Resources | Spells | Skills

---

Calyx keeps silent, not wanting to interrupt the flow of the conversation as they get closer and closer to solving the puzzle. He does attempt to catch Tann's gaze, offering a thumb-up gesture for doing most of the heavy lifting with her analysis.

"I don't know how many eyes a basilisk has, but I think it's a bad idea to assume that there are no repeating numbers," is the only thing he has to add. As a hooligan-turned-priest, puzzles and multi-eyed monsters are a little out of his wheelhouse.

 

[Starhawk]

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

 

Tann, looking deep in thought, nods at this from Calyx, clearly more interested in solving the puzzle than anything else. The thumbs up from him does elicit the ghost of a smile though.. "If a basilisk has two eyes, which I suspect it might, then yep... two is repeating." she drawls in her startlingly low breathy contralto. "Anyone here know for sure how many eyes a basilisk has before we go for two?"

Edited July 11, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[Starhawk]

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

Recieving no answer to her query, Tann looks around at the company looking somewhat bewildered. Pursing her lips, she clearly take the bit between her teeth, moves forward and grasping hold of the handholds in the pillar pushes the pillar so that the arrow moves eastwards until its pointing at the grey render with the six eyes. She then pulls, since that's the opposite direction until the arrow is pointing at the roper. When she reaches the roper she then pushes, reversing the pillar's direction of movement, until the arrow is pointed at the medusa. She then reverses the direction of the pillar's movement once more until the arrow is pointed at the ettin. And finally reverses the direction of the pillar's movement once more until it is pointing at the medusa again. She then backs away from the pillar.

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[CharmingSatyr]

  

Calyx, Elven Warpriest (notes) AC: 17 | HP: 9/9 | Hero: 1 Fort: +3 | Ref: +4 | Will: +6 Resources | Spells | Skills

---

Calyx gives Tann an affirming nod, before looking over his shoulder to make sure that Lavinia is within arm's reach. "If things go pear-shaped, stay near me," he warns. "I'll do my best to get you out of here."

 

[Fiery Gift]

Tann's efforts to push the dial in its various directions yield the result of hearing a grinding of gears beneath the floor. There is definitely a mechanism involved with the central pillar. Lavina sidles closer to Calyx at some of the sounds, but happily, no traps are triggered. Unfortunately the door doesn't open. When Tann brings the arrow back to where it is pointing south, she can feel a settling sensation from the mechanism as if it resetting the combination below.

I think you're on to something there, Tann. And Calyx might be right too. It must be a combination lock of some type. I just wish the combination was a little more straight forward. A Basilisk does have two eyes as far as I know, but how many eyes does a medusa have? Should the eyes on the little snakes that replaced her hair be counted?

They couldn't, right? My parents didn't know how many snakes are on a medusa's head or if those snakes even have eyes. I'll assume the medusa's snake hair eyes don't count.

Lavinia observes. She might be feeling a little pressure to provide the answer to the puzzle. It could be that she's so close to her inheritance, but she seems a little flustered as evidenced by her babbling.

 

[Starhawk]

 

 

Tann Hauser (AC 17)

Character Short Form

Female  Neutral  Elf Wizard,

Level 1, Init 5, HP 8/8, Speed 30 

AC 13 (17 Mage Armor) Touch 13, Flat-footed 10 (14), CMD 12, 

Fort 1, Ref 3, Will 3, CMB -1, Base Attack Bonus  0,  

Dagger -1 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2)
Light Crossbow (10 Reusable) +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2)
 
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10

Cantrips Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ray of Frost 1d3+1

1st level Spells Burning Hands 1 (3d4+1), Colour Spray, Crafter's Blessing, Ears of the City, Expeditious Retreat, Fabricate Bullets, Grease 1, Mage Armor 1

Skills

+10  Knowledge Local, Knowledge Arcana

+8  Alchemy, Spellcraft

+6 Heal, Perception (+9 in low light), all other knowledge skills and professions

Condition

Darkvision 60' but dazzled in bright light.

Entomophobe Drawback (penalties with vermin and swarms)

Sheet Link

https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2744372

 

Tann purses her lips.. "East indicates counterclockwise and West indicates clockwise. So maybe I just went in the wrong directions. This is why I get paid the big bucks..", she murmurs quietly, taking the piss out of herself. Having stepped back from the pillar she seems in no hurry to move forward and try again.

Taking out a scrap of parchment and a quill, she draws out what she thinks the combination is.. "Does this look right?"

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Starhawk (see edit history)

[Fiery Gift]

Hmm . . . it looks right to me. But I have to warn you, it is going to be a while to get your money if we can't get in that vault. Try it one more time. I don't think it "clicked" on one of the passes. Lavinia replies after carefully considering the note held up by Tann.

 

 

[ccanary]

Seraphina Stormborn

Seraphina Stormborn — Half-Orc Skald 1 (Fated Champion)
AC/T/FF 16/11/15 | HP 10/10 | Init +1 | Speed 20ft | Fort/Ref/Will 5/4/2 | Darkvision
Raging Song 12/12 | Hero Points 01/01
Active Conditions:
Group buffs: raging song (allies who accept gain +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.

Spells

1st: (1/2 remaining) Heightened Awareness (10 minutes), Saving Finale
Cantrips: (unl) detect magic, ghost sound, prestidigitation, read magic

On the Flirty Frigate

Seraphina looked over Tann's sheet.

"Same, 6/1/2/4/2 seems like it should be right. One way or the other. "

She took her turn at the pillar, rotating it according to the plan, waiting for a click, then back the other way. First reversing the pattern Tann had used, switching left and right turns. She paused after that waiting for disaster if the combination was wrong. Then if that didn't work, back to the same one going slowly making sure the cylinder or whatever the mechanism was, actually engaged.

Mechanics

Temporary conditions:

• Heightened awareness (10 minutes remaining) +2 to perception and knowledge-based skills, can dismiss for +4 to initiative

I asked FieryGift and it's arcana (DC 16 I think?) to know what a basilisk is and how many eyes it has. Seraphina already botched that roll with a 6 last post, anybody got a good arcana score want to try?

AoO:
Standard:
Move:

Free:

Trained Skills

Acrobatics*	+6
Climb*	+9
Knowledge (local)	+8
Knowledge (nobility)	+6
Other knowledges (untrained)	+2
Perception	+2
Perform (Sing)	+8
Swim*	+8
* -4 ACP to str and dex skills