The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

The magician's home was actually outside the city limits but it wasn't too far. She found it easily enough. It was inside a forest but a fifty-foot perimeter had been carved out. It was made of smooth white stone and looked squat despite being three stories high. There were no fences but, somewhat disconcertingly, there were no doors or windows on the first floor. The second floor had a single window that Ariyana might be able to slip through, maybe, and the third floor had a balcony.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana looked up at the building and scowled. No doors or windows on the ground level, at least that she could see. The mage had to have a way to easily get in and out of his own tower, so perhaps the door was hidden by illusion or trick of the stone work?

She sighed quietly, it didn't matter right now anyway. If she poked around here too much, she'd risk alerting her prey to her presence. She'd keep it in mind if she needed to make an escape...

Now then, how to scale a smooth, stone building? She poked the wall with her claws once or twice, trying to see if she could slip them into the breaks between the stone. It wasn't easy, but if she moved fast enough she might be able to make it to the window before her grip failed.

Backing up a few feet, she got a running start and began trying to scale the wall straight up, much like a cat and a tree. When she got high enough, she'd dive for the window and attempt to grab the ledge.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Her first attempt ended in failure. Somehow the entire tower was made of a single block of stone. There were no gaps to grab. Fortunately, on her second attempt, she noticed that the tower wasn't completely solid. There were some minor cracked, presumably caused by the weather. She was just barely able to claw her way up to the window. Getting a closer look at it, she was sure that she could squeeze through. On the other hand, she could also attempt for the balcony from here. If she failed and fell, though, she could end up getting hurt.

Through the window she saw a little laboratory. There was a work bench set up, a largish pestle and mortar, and a few more odd devices. Ariyana guessed that this was for processing ingredients. She didn't see anything right underneath her, though, so she should be able to enter without having to worry about breaking anything.

OOC

Spoiler

Body check for climb: 40 + 9 vs 55 DC FAILURE
40 + 16 vs 55 SUCCESS

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana really hoped nobody saw her slide down the tower on that first attempt. How embarrassing. Never-the-less, her second attempt proved much more effective, getting her to the window she desired. She could push higher, to try and get to the balcony, but there were too many variables to that for her liking. First of all, too high and on a difficult climb. There could be someone in that room, whereas this room was thankfully empty. There could also be a trap put on such an obvious entrance point. She had to squeeze through this window, which meant it was unlikely to be considered a standard point of entry.

Coming to her decision, Ariyana slipped through the window and tried to drop quietly into the lab below. Assuming her entrance didn't make too much noise, she'd start to look around for traps or inherently valuable items. She wasn't much of an alchemist, but sometimes you could gauge the value of something by how it was stored. After all, nobody put lambs wool in a locked steel chest.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

Unfortunately, while the balcony was probably trapped, the window was trapped as well. She barely managed to squeeze through and when she put her feet on the ground, she felt something prick her foot. Looking very closely, she saw a very small hole. On her foot she found a very fine needle. Nothing happened for a moment, then her body began to heat up. However, the heat was concentrated on her chest. The fabric covering her breasts became taut, then tore as her breasts grew at least two cups. It was a strange effect but Ariyana figured out why this was quickly: she was unable to fit back through the window. She was going to have to either neutralize the poison, wait it out, or find another way out.

For now, though, she managed to find a small chest on the ground. She didn't find any traps on the container. Opening it, she found a great deal of ingredients. Most of it wasn't very interesting but she did find some rare herbs that she was sure she could find a seller for. Now she could go up or down. She might find a way out on the third floor... or might run into more traps. The first floor might have the hidden entrance.

Rolls

Spoiler

Trap Detection 28 + 2 = 30 FAILURE
Resistance 30 + 5 vs 40 FAILURE

Got loot equal to 10 denarii if sold

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana yelped quietly as she felt the needle strike her, before looking down and seeing the effect it was having on her. Ariyana rolled her eyes, cursing the stupid virgin mage who came up with such stupid venoms. Oh well, at least it wasn't poisonous.

She placed the few things of worth she could find into her satchel, making a quick survey of the room before deciding on her plan. Her target was likely upwards, but now she had no manner of egress, and she didn't fancy trying to fly from the balcony. It now became imperative to find a solid way out before she progressed any deeper, so she should head down to the first floor and try to find some alternate way out.

There was also the possibility that the trap she'd just sprung had triggered an alarm somewhere else in the tower, so she progressed slowly and cautiously down the stairs.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

The first floor presented her with three main things of note. The first was a pedestal in the middle of the room. Upon it lay a golden chalice. It couldn't have said "TRAP" any louder unless it had blinking neon lights and maybe a klaxon or two. The second item of note was another staircase leading down into an underground floor. And the third item was what looked like an archway. The archway was filled with stone but Ariyana could see where the stone was separated from the rest of the wall. She had the strong feeling that there was probably a word you would have to say to activate the doorway.

She paused for a moment. There was a note that had been stuck to the wall next to the archway. It read "Terra Aperta."

...

Surely he wasn't THAT idiotic, was he?

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

First rule of being a thief, something that seems too good to be true, often is. She doubted that the chalice before her was what she was looking for, as one would have to be superbly arrogant to leave something like that on open display, even if it was trapped.

She also doubted that the words provided were the correct password for the door. They likely triggered another trap. She took a quick look around the room, and once she was convinced she had not looked over anything else, she proceeded down into the basement.

It was starting to look like she would have to wring the answers out of the mage himself, but perhaps she'd get lucky. Still, this mage had the sense to set up at least one intelligent trap. It would be a mistake to underestimate him now.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

As she headed downward, the quality of light began to decrease. There were lights set up in the basement but they weren't as strong as the ones above. And Ariyana found out why: a middle step had been trapped. It was almost a miracle but Ariyana just managed to force herself over a step, almost stumbling, when her senses shouted danger at her. She didn't know how she knew it was a trap but looking at it closely, she saw the step was conspicuously clean, where the rest of the steps had at least a little dust on them. She had no idea what would have happened if she had stepped on it and was only glad that she hadn't.

It took longer to search this room. The poor light would have been bad enough but she also had to check each space for traps and that was extremely aggravating. It didn't stop her, though. This room had been used as a storage room. Most of it was uninteresting, food, cloth, basic supplies. This guy bought in bulk. She found a few denarii lying around and managed to gather 7 of them in total.

When she turned, she felt a wave of confusion wash over her. She looked around and found, to her bewilderment, that she had somehow missed an iron cage in the corner. It contained... her. Or at least, a miniature version of her. It seemed unconscious.

Rolls

Spoiler

Perception 28 + 20 vs 45 SUCCESS
Trap detected

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana scowled at seeing nothing of consequence here except chump change. This run was quickly becoming obnoxious, and she was forced to an unwelcome conclusion. Being safe and cautious was all well and good, but that wasn't going to get here anywhere in here. This mage was prepared for thieves, and she wasn't versed in magic enough to disarm the tricks of his tower. If she wanted to get anywhere, she'd have to act boldly and trust in her skills to see her through.

Caution was going out the window, metaphorically speaking. And so, even though she suspected it was a trap, she walked up to the cage that contained... her. She looked at the creature through the bars, trying to discern any temperment or whatever else she could. She reached out and rapped on the bars, curious if whatever this was would respond. Was this an illusion, or had the mage been expecting her? Maybe the information on this place had been fed specifically to her as a kind of trap?

Come to think of it, there had been nothing here (yet) stopping her from gaining access. Every problem she'd encountered had been keeping her from getting out.

With this new information, Ariyana's senses went on high alert. Something didn't smell right about this job...

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

The mini-her awoke almost instantly. The justified paranoia in Ariyana's mind said that she woke up almost too fast. Anyway, she turned to Ariyana and almost yelled "You're here! Quickly, let me out, before he gets back here! If he returns, you'll be trapped down here with me!" She rushed over and pointed out the lock on the cage. It was a pretty simple one and Ariyana was sure she could pick it. "I know you must have questions but I'll answer them once we leave here!"

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana was sure that this was a trap, beyond sure. However, she really didn't have any better ideas. At the very least, maybe this trap would tip her hand when she made her play.

"All right, just calm down," she said, leaning down to work on the lock. It was easy enough to unlock, popping open with a click as Ariyana went to open the cage and let her little clone out.

"Why are you here, little one?" she asked.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

"I'm here because you are. I wasn't here until you came down here." There was something wrong about her statement but she was at least telling the partial truth. She left the cage and looked around before nodding. She grew to the same size as Ariyana. "Now we need to get out of here. Do you know of a way to escape?" It was very odd talking to a life-sized duplicate of herself.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana arched an eyebrow at the creature. It didn't exist until she'd come down here?

Wait... wasn't the entire reason she came here to find something that duplicated items? What if that had been a test? What if this, copying people, was the final result? She'd passed by a chalice on the first floor, but what if that wasn't it. What if, somehow, part of this building was the chalice, and she had accidentally 'entered' it?

Ariyana stopped herself from becoming lost in pointless hypotheticals. "Possibly, but I can't leave yet. Upstairs there is what might be an exit, but it might be a trap. If you're like me, then you should be nimble enough to slip through any trap it might contain," she said, leading the way back up the stairs.

She stepped deftly to avoid the trapped step she'd found earlier. "Watch that step," she called back to the clone, not wishing to spring a trap right now. When they arrived back on the first floor, Ariyana would examine the chalice, assuming that the clone would look at the odd section of the wall with the inscription.

After a moment of checking the pedestal for obvious traps, she grew tired. Throwing caution to the wind, she reached out and snatched the chalice off of the pedestal as fast as she could. Her feet were pressed tight, ready to spring at a moments notice.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Her clone followed Ariyanna's instructions exactly, which was good. What was not good was that the thief's greed finally got to her. She was just about to grab the chalice when the pedestal the chalice was on suddenly sprouted an eye. A tendril detached, revealing dark green flesh before the hide shimmered and took the appearance of stone. It wrapped around Ariyanna's wrist, a grip that wasn't exactly strong but the tendril was tough and any attempt at pulling away simply caused the tendril to stretch a little before retracting. "It's a roper!"

OOC

Spoiler

Perception 28 + 2 vs 14 + 43 FAILURE
Grapple 40 + 5 vs 7 + 42 ROPER WINS
Ariyanna is now grappled

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana wasn't exactly surprised that it was a trap, however the specifics of the trap were new to her. She'd never seen such a creature before, but thankfully a target made itself apparent.

Also, the actions of her clone now might help her deduce where her loyalties lay. Never the less, she needed to act quickly to put herself into a more beneficial position. Her right hand was held, so she awkwardly grabbed her gun in her left, leveling it at the large eye.

She squeezed the trigger, trying to keep her aim steady. She wouldn't be able to reload like this, so it was imperative that she not miss.

OOC:

Spoiler

Unsure if I can use 'Deadly Aim' or 'Called Shot', since I am in a grapple. If I can, I'd like to use both/either of them. If I cannot, then just a normal shot.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

It was difficult to keep her body tensed up to avoid being pulled closer at the same time she took aim but she just managed to do it. It was a point blank shot and in the small chamber, it was LOUD. It was also extremely effective. The creature had been shot straight through and the eyeball had popped, sending a shower of ichor onto Ariyana's body. The creature flopped over, its other tendrils falling to the ground before they could reach her. The grail on its head, on closer inspection, was made of worthless but shiny materials. It was a fake.

Her doppelganger had covered her ears and closed her eyes during the fight. When it was over, she opened them cautiously. "Are you... alright?"

OOC

Spoiler

Got confirmation from Tassadar: You can indeed use them at the same time.

Grapple Roll: 40 + 18 vs 3 + 42 Ariyana wins!
Attack roll: Auto Hit; Ropers are pretty much stationary
Damage: (8 + 2 + 3 + 10) * 2 = 52 Damage

2 EXP gained!

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana grimaced as the ichor sprayed over her. At least it didn't seem corrosive, just disgusting. She wiped the worst of it off in disgust, before turning to her useless clone.

"Fine. I need a bath, but fine. I doubt that archway behind you is what it seems, either," she said, reloading her gun and tossing the fake chalice aside. Unless the mage was deaf, he should certainly be aware of her presence now.

Ariyana shrugged. "Oh well, in for a copper, in for a gold. I'm heading to the top floor to... ask the owner some questions. You can come with or stay here, but I might not be able to protect you if things get dangerous. It's your call."

She still wasn't entirely sure what she should do with the clone, but that could wait. So far, it didn't seem to mean any harm.

And so she headed upstairs, past the second floor where she entered, and up towards the level with the balcony.

 

[dragoon93041]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Spoiler

Ariyana: HP = 57, PP = 46, EP = 45 Status: Fine

Ariyana's doppelganger grabs her arm when they were on the second floor. "Wait. I remember the mage saying something about how the third floor was dangerous to enter unless you know the code word. Maybe we can get out through that window. It looks like we would fit." Ariyana hadn't really noticed but the clone looked like it had a bust of Ariyana's original side, not her current one.

 

[Lumino]

Re: The Golden Rule (Lumino) GM'd by dragoon93041

Ariyana turned on the clone, narrowing her eyes. "But I thought you only came into being the moment I went downstairs? How would you possibly know that?" she said, feeling her senses on edge. "You can leave if you want to, but I'm not leaving empty handed. If you stay, you're going to answer what exactly you are, and no half answers now. I still don't know if I can trust you or if you are a living trap. So go crawl through the window, or give me a straight answer."

The identity of this... thing had been unusual at best. More and more, Ariyana was getting the feeling that she could not be trusted. One way or the other, the variable needed to be removed. If that happened through her leaving or through full disclosure, Ariyana wasn't picky.