Evelyn will cast Black tentacles down the pit.
Cast Defensive:
CMB: +14
Nearly a minute passes before the sounds of the frantic slithering of the tentacles stops echoing up the elevator shaft.
All is quiet.
Do you now proceed down?
Brand walked forward, his hands casually held behind his back. He stood next to the lever, glancing ever so quickly at it.
"Cough, ahem." His hand flashed out and switched the lever.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Oops?"
Amelia concentrated, once again probing for the surface thoughts of those below as the tentacles slithered.
"Fall back. There's a powerful mage up there. You get too close and.....crunch. That's all she wrote for you. Crushed to jelly. I've seen it happen. You can tell how powerful a mage it is by how long it lasts (minutes pass)............um, (minutes pass).........we're in trouble."
"They'll be coming soon. Get to the secondary positions and reset. I want overlapping fields of fire on that platform. Nothing alive gets off."
"Who does he think he is giving orders, a golden cloak and suddenly he's Crusader General?"
"Get ready! It's coming down! Move! Move!"
The platform shuddered and hidden machinery clanked.
Suddenly, the metal disc began to sink into the earth, sliding downwards at a brisk pace.
Dwarven runes counted off the depth as the disc descended for a time, and then the disc passed into open space, the rail the only barrier between those on board and a nasty fall.
The lever thunks into a slot as the elevator finishes its travel downwards. A breeze carries the stink of burning, wisps of smoke curling from the cylindrical pillar holding the elevator controls as fluid leaks onto hot machinery from rent hoses.
The metal disc of the elevator is clearly visible roughly 70 feet below, bathed in a sphere of bright white light. A shaft cut through the ground extends roughly half that distance down from where you stand before opening up into a larger space.
Now what do you do?
Brand whistled quietly and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small green seed and tossed it down the shaft.
Brand hurled the token into the elevator shaft, wincing as it struck the lip of the tunnel and instantly bloomed into a massive oak whose trunk alone blocked half the shafts width and whose branches formed a plug of greenery that completely sealed the way down.
The upper branches of the tree spilled from the open mouth of the elevator shaft, all but filling the hollow interior of the shattered hall.
Amelia could hear the surface thoughts of those below.
"By the Dark Gods, they're throwing trees at us."
"If they are, they're a piss-poor shot."
"Close counts with trees, sorta like alchemists fire that way."
"Well, they've walled us in, and walled them out. We've got time. Report to her and ....."
Whoever that was moved out of range and Amelia heard no more.
Amelia sighed and shook her head. Moving forward she began floating downwards and working her way through the branches. On her way down she faded from sight and descended in silence.
"I saw that going, a lot better..."
Hmpf He kicked at a branch.
Evelyn simply looked down in disbelief and waited.
"What's going on?"
Maitreya looked at the oracle.
"Brand has blocked the elevator shaft with a magically grown tree and he and Amelia have gone below. Do you have the means to follow them or do you need me to carry you? The climb looks challenging, but I feel my skills are equal to the task."
"I was talking to them, you don't know whats going on down there either!
"I was talking to them, you don't know whats going on down there either!
The monk nodded. "True. But our companions have gone below into almost certain peril and I mean to lend what aid I may. Will you join us through mystical powers of your own or do you need my assistance? Choose quickly, each moment that passes puts our allies in possibly deeper danger."
"I require no assistance, thank you."
Evelyn waited for a few moments to hear reports from the ones below.
Brand flinched as a branch swung and slapped him in the face as he descended.
This is why you should run your plans by everyone first...
Brand and Amelia slipped through the foilage like shadows, slittering downwards towards the massive chamber below.
Brand and Maitreya landed but moments apart, less than five paces between them. A golden coin sat on the edge of the iron walkway beyond the elevator, ablaze with bright magical light that banished the shadows from the area.
"RICHOW!
"SPEWANG!
Thunderous retorts echoed in the sunken chamber as foes beyond the light attacked the pair of monks revealed on the lowered disc.
Bullets sparked from the iron railing and tore a fist-sized chunk of stone from the wall. Clicking followed, a mechanical ratcheting noise.
Reloading.
Party Initiative
Brand Orson 20
Rifleman #1 19
Rifleman #2 15
Amelia Darkarch 9
Maitreya 8a
Evelyn Nyx 8b
> Brand is Up!
Brand flinched as the bullets tore past. Great, guns. I hate guns.
He raced forward towards the balcony wall. He quickly scanned the area before he pressed his back to it and ducked behind it. He took out a small flask and drank it down.
Brand flinched as the bullets tore past. Great, guns. I hate guns.
He raced forward towards the balcony wall. He quickly scanned the area before he pressed his back to it and ducked behind it. He took out a small flask and drank it down.
>Amelia is Up!
Amelia floated invisibly above the chaos and smoke of the firearms.
"Hmm...those sound custom. Expensive. These expendable foot soldiers are well equipped. Not by magic though. Interesting. That makes me think black cog involvement. Time the reload speed. That is the real tell. Might mean good gun, might mean good gunslinger" she thought to herself
The sound of a bullet rending flesh and the grunt from Maitreya forced her thoughts back to the present. Speaking a word of magic she gathered the wind around her and flew silently towards their attackers, seeking a better view.
Evelyn Nyx | Init: 8 | Rnd: 1
Evelyn will cast , then lower herself from the edge, and drop onto the top of the very scrunched-up tree.
Brand round 2
Brand leapt up from behind cover as Maitreya staggered back.
"Filthy cowards!"
Hot blood pounded in his ears as he rushed forward. Dark red bark flowed over his skin, creaking and flaking.
Maitreya pressed a hand against the hole in his abdomen and forced the pain from his mind.
He put one foot in front of the other, faster and faster, until the walls of the chamber blurred past.
The enemy rifleman's eyed grew wide as the monk raced towards forward, impossibly fast. Maitraya glanced over his shoulder and saw Brand not far behind him.
"Filthy cowards" the half-dryad taunted.
Amelia glided forward, her robes moving in a breeze no one else felt. THe distant gouts of flame from the barrels of the rifles gave away the attackers positions and she saw both Brand and Maitreya rush towards one of the enemy, leaving the other wide open.
Behind the wizard, a swirl of falling leaves cascaded to the chamber floor, heralding Evelyn's leap to the treetop and the beginnings of her climb downwards.
The insulted gunman took a step back and aimed, the deadly barrel of the rifle a black eye aimed at Brands chest.
Krakkow!
Brand's hand blurred upwards, almost too fast to see.
He opened his closed fist and showed the bullet, neatly caught.
"You dropped this. Let me give it back to you."
The sharp crack of the other rifle cut the air, the bullet whistling by Brands head to crack into the wall.
> Amelia is Up! Round 2 Actions please.
Amelia frowned
"That was incredibly fast reload. There may be magic afoot after all"
Knowing that she couldn't stop the gunman from firing, she began a summoning chant in the hopes of taking away his toy.
Amelia frowned
"That was incredibly fast reload. There may be magic afoot after all"Knowing that she couldn't stop the gunman from firing, she began a summoning chant in the hopes of taking away his toy.
Maitreya spun into a graceful swooping kick that drove the gunslinger's head against the stone wall with a crack.
As the man's cranium rebounded it found Maitreya's elbow....once......twice.....again....sending the thug into slumber.
"Sleep now. And dream of the wrong steps you have taken on your life's path."
>Evelyn is Up!
I will start climbing down the tree until it is clear enough to fly to the bottom with my wings.
Evelyn soon reaches the bottom of the elevstor shaft, fluttering to a soft landing on her magical wings.
In the distance she could hear one of the gunmen yell out in fear.
"We've got problems. Sarji is down and there's a flying wizard down here.....make that two flying wizards. Women! Witches maybe! I need help!"
A deep clank answered him, and then another. "Bzzz--Help comes, Darenjad, calm yourself. Nothing can stand before a War Walker."
A squat form walked from the far shadows, every step a wheeze-whine-clank of magitech that sent tremors through the balcony. A twisted shape, a man perhaps but horribly palsied and misshapen sat inside the crystalline cockpit of some form of war machine of battered brass the size of an ogre. A cluster of what looked like gunbarrels rested on the reinforced shoulder of the thing, a cluster that swung towards the floating form of Amelia and began to spin as a high-pitched whine began from somewhere in the armored shoulder. Rays of harmless blood-red light played over her flapping robes.
A smell, akin to the aftermath of a lightning strike rose in the air and the a line of drool leaked from the pilots mouth as his mouth spasmed into a grin. Bzzz----Time to die, Witch!--Click"
Reassured the rifleman took quick aim at Brand and fired, the monk plucking it from the air as easily as he had the other.
> Brand is Up! Round 3 Actions please.
Brand smiled as he saw the giant mech. Clumsy but powerful, I wonder where the controls for the cannon are in relation to the foot pedals for forward motion?
He shook his head what does that even mean?
He burst forward, his eyes scanning the mech. flakes of bark trailed behind him as he leapt.
Evelyn refocuses her initiative.
Maitreya launched himself against the side of the war machine, his fist clanging off its brazen surface, leaving a massive dent in the metal.
>Round 3! Evelyn is up first.
Evelyn Nyx
Brand Orson
Rifleman #2
Amelia Darkarch
War Walker
Maitreya
Evelyn casts Shield of faith defensively, and then moves behind the tree for cover from walker.
Brand rushed forward and jammed another of his tree tokens into what he hoped was an important juncture in the walkers armored shell. The feathers magic took hold, instantly sprouting into another massive tree that shunted the war walker to one side, hurling it off balance and spoiling its aim, but not dealing it lasting harm.
"Bzz---Blasted Druid Slime! You will burn for that!"
The enemy rifleman took advantage of the trees cover to race between the war walkers legs and out sight in the chamber beyond.
>Amelia is Up!
Amelia's clak of invisibility faded as the fabric of reality was tent asunder and an imp like creature wreathed in crackling blue electricity clawed it's way out of the rift.
"The one who flees" Amelia said in a cold commanding tone and the creature shot after the fleeing gunman at amazing speed.
Turning back to the brass plated abomination she sniffed and considered the air.
Ozone!
Touching the black rod she kept on her belt she spoke a word and sent a pulse of magic to each of her companions.
I will use my rod of reach to cast communal resist energy:electricity on everyone.
The weapon cluster on the war walkers shoulder pivoted with a whir and the air filled with crackling. Arcs of lightning danced between the metal rods of the weapon as its powerstones built to critical.
A line of writhing electricity erupted from the rods end towards the flying form of Amelia, a second rod rotating into place a split-second behind, launching its own blast, and then a third, and then a fourth, fifth, and a sixth....all in the span between heartbeats.
The chamber's shadows were blasted away in a light brighter than the noonday sun.
"Bzz-Fools.....You see! Nothing can stand before a War Walker! The fate of your witch shall be yours. Her smoking corpse......"
Amelia still flew, her robes charred and flesh burned but she still flew.
"Bzz--Impossible!! Inconceivable!!"
Maitreya squeezed between the newly formed tree and the wall, emerging into a square chamber boasting another elevator. The rifleman lay prone, a strange imp-like creature hovering above him.
The monk rushed over to the man. "Stay down and no further harm will befall you."
The warrior looked from the lightning elemental to Maitreya and raised his empty hands.
>Evelyn is Up!