Act 9 - Chimera Cove
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
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- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
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Inside the Lion's Den: Victory
Dreams thanks Torias and follows Nate to the door. Softly, she says, "Speaking of strategy, do we want to send a scout ahead? They doubtless know we're here now, but we should still be on the look out for traps and ambushes."
- Grimbold
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Inside the Lion's Den: Victory
"I think we should stay together, but having someone with good eyes at the front might be a good idea." Torias says. He then inspects the door.
- ManWithDoor
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Inside the Lion's Den: Victory
"Trained as a scout and skirmisher back in my military days, so reasonably good at keeping a lookout and keeping my head low. Met many a person better than me, but I'm no slouch. I'll take point, but I agree with Torias. I don't want to get too separated." The gunslinger steps forward to take the lead.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10513
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
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Inside the Lion's Den: Victory
Dreams nods. "No, we shouldn't get too spaced out. But thank you for taking point, Nate."
- Grimbold
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- Location: Austria
- Title: Professor
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Inside the Lion's Den: Victory
"Ok, let's move quickly before they mount stronger defenses. Watch out for traps!" Torias says. He looks at the door and tries to open it.
- Vardaen
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The High Port: First Glance
This huge stone cavern reaches over one hundred and fifty feet back into the heart of the rocky island. The murky waters of the cove cover the cavern’s floor to a depth of at least fifteen feet. The space is alive with the sounds of dripping water, and the walls glisten where just a short time ago they were submerged. Barnacle colonies dot the walls, and seaweed hangs limply elsewhere. While the arch of the cave mouth stands thirty feet above the water, the roof of the cavern rises as it runs into the island, reaching a height of at least seventy feet at its far end. Likewise, while the cave mouth is only thirty feet wide, the cavern expands to several times that as one enters. To either side of the cave mouth, stone ramps five feet wide rise out of the water and cling to the cavern walls, gradually rising upward to end at a height of thirty five feet at the far wall. At that wall the west ramp opens into another chamber from which faint light emanates. Thick ropes hang into the water here and there, some anchored to rusting cleats set into the walls, others lying in loose coils.
Dominating the far wall are gigantic wooden double doors, twenty-five feet in height and forty feet in width, composed of planks which could be ships’ timbers and are heavily reinforced with rusting steel. The top of the doors are flush with the top of the wall, while the bottom is ten feet above water level. The many barnacles indicate the door is typically submerged to a depth of twenty feet. No hinges are visible, making it appear the doors open inward.
Standing atop the far wall to either side of the giant doors is a pair of wooden and steel contraptions which resemble small siege engines. A stout wooden base supports a pivoting mechanism enclosing an open chute ten feet long and one foot in width, with attached gears used to adjust the angle of the chute.
The corpses of the Thrulls litter around the Drop Scorpion contraptions and you turns your focus to the massive doors. Now that the Thrulls are defeated, you realize the chamber is rather dark, a Light Spell from Torias and the chamber lights. You see two large levers near the doors, and presume they open and close these huge doors. Yet more importantly you see dark stone colored curtains, mostly eaten away with salt water and mist that hang from the cavern ceiling that 'block' the way forward. You just didn't notice these 'walls' were nothing but curtains in the heat of the battle (and because your GM totally read the map wrong!).
You send your sniper forward through the curtains and he waves you to join him beyond...
This cavern is only slightly smaller than the previous one, measuring over a hundred feet long and nearly as wide, with a natural stone ceiling over forty feet above. Aside from a twenty-foot-wide flat stone shelf running along the northwest wall of the cavern and a much narrower shelf to the southeast, the cavern is filled with perfectly still water, forming a most unusual port, with a fully intact fifty-foot-long ship expertly tied to the stone pier, and a narrow gangplank leading aboard. There are no signs of activity on the ship beyond flickering, unnatural light at half a dozen points on the mast, clearly the product of magic. A plaque near the bow reads “Silver Reign.” The dockside is relatively bare beyond a plenitude of rope. The water is contained at the far end by a low wall with open space beyond; like the previous cavern, the ceiling of this one extends even further into the island, angling steeply downward past the low wall as the floor drops off into some unseen space.
Dominating the far wall are gigantic wooden double doors, twenty-five feet in height and forty feet in width, composed of planks which could be ships’ timbers and are heavily reinforced with rusting steel. The top of the doors are flush with the top of the wall, while the bottom is ten feet above water level. The many barnacles indicate the door is typically submerged to a depth of twenty feet. No hinges are visible, making it appear the doors open inward.
Standing atop the far wall to either side of the giant doors is a pair of wooden and steel contraptions which resemble small siege engines. A stout wooden base supports a pivoting mechanism enclosing an open chute ten feet long and one foot in width, with attached gears used to adjust the angle of the chute.
The corpses of the Thrulls litter around the Drop Scorpion contraptions and you turns your focus to the massive doors. Now that the Thrulls are defeated, you realize the chamber is rather dark, a Light Spell from Torias and the chamber lights. You see two large levers near the doors, and presume they open and close these huge doors. Yet more importantly you see dark stone colored curtains, mostly eaten away with salt water and mist that hang from the cavern ceiling that 'block' the way forward. You just didn't notice these 'walls' were nothing but curtains in the heat of the battle (and because your GM totally read the map wrong!).
You send your sniper forward through the curtains and he waves you to join him beyond...
This cavern is only slightly smaller than the previous one, measuring over a hundred feet long and nearly as wide, with a natural stone ceiling over forty feet above. Aside from a twenty-foot-wide flat stone shelf running along the northwest wall of the cavern and a much narrower shelf to the southeast, the cavern is filled with perfectly still water, forming a most unusual port, with a fully intact fifty-foot-long ship expertly tied to the stone pier, and a narrow gangplank leading aboard. There are no signs of activity on the ship beyond flickering, unnatural light at half a dozen points on the mast, clearly the product of magic. A plaque near the bow reads “Silver Reign.” The dockside is relatively bare beyond a plenitude of rope. The water is contained at the far end by a low wall with open space beyond; like the previous cavern, the ceiling of this one extends even further into the island, angling steeply downward past the low wall as the floor drops off into some unseen space.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10513
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
- User Class: Scholar
The High Port: First Glance
Taking in the situation, Dreams says, "Well, the obvious thing to do is to board the ship. They presumably know we're here, so, while we should exercise caution, there's probably not much in stealth. Of course, the other possibility is that they are operating underwater by magical means--but then we'd need potions of water breathing ourselves and the ship seems the best place to find them."
- ManWithDoor
- Moderator
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- Title: Imperial Psyker
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The High Port: First Glance
The scout continues forward cautiously, but without slowing to a crawl. "That may be, and worth checking out. But there is likely more of the cavern that we simply haven't been able to see yet. For all we know, there's nothing else under that water than the seafloor. And some fish I suppose." He heads first for the gangplank since it seems an obvious way to get on the ship.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
- Vardaen
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- Location: Miskatonic University
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The High Port: First Glance
You start down the sloping cave floor, its slick here and there from water and the humidity. As you move down the ramp you see a figure on the pier that stands gazing up at you as you descend. You grow closer and you can see the figure is of a slender and foppish looking man. He's well tanned, tall, and likely in his thirties. He wears a black eye patch over his right eye and has on very flashy clothing, all the style in Olfden! While his outfit is garish, his movements suggest a precise sense of balance.
"Well well that's far enough. Who do we have here? You don't look like the replacement I ask for from Barn Vendikon. If the thunderous noise of your battle wasn't indication enough of that." He smiles and looks you over, he's clearly outnumber, "Before things turn uncivilized shall we get to know one another a little bit? Perhaps we have a common ground we could find." He bows to you sweeping his hat before him, "Captain Poltur, as your service."
"Well well that's far enough. Who do we have here? You don't look like the replacement I ask for from Barn Vendikon. If the thunderous noise of your battle wasn't indication enough of that." He smiles and looks you over, he's clearly outnumber, "Before things turn uncivilized shall we get to know one another a little bit? Perhaps we have a common ground we could find." He bows to you sweeping his hat before him, "Captain Poltur, as your service."
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
- ManWithDoor
- Moderator
- Posts: 9301
- Location: California, USA
- Title: Imperial Psyker
- User Class: Imperial Psyker
The High Port: First Glance
The gunslingers doesn't allow his eyes to settle wholly on the pirate (?), keeping his senses working in case this is a trick. He keeps his rifle angled downward towards the ground, not aiming it at the man at that would be a clear death threat. "Depends on why you're here, Captain Poltur. Those nasty creatures had taken an entire village hostage. We were told this was their lair. I'm here to stomp out this infestation." He's trying to pass himself off as ignorant of any larger issues, as though he were a stereotypical adventurer passing through, just happening upon the village and their issues.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."