Shohirajs gaze snaps abruptly back into focus, and unwilling to fall prey to such an effect again she tumbles past Thestil and the Su to position herself for an attack against the beast.
Stumbling forward, Rataji moves towards the windows. Turning as he stops, the man mumbles an incantation and flings a frozen glob across the room towards the voonith.
Eremay moves forward to join the others after succumbing to the shaken effect.
Recovering from his daze, Falth dashes ahead with a wicked grin. "Seems you've cornered it. Let's finish this." He lines up another three arrows and fires at the Su.
Zurnzal's mind still races with questions and doubts as the su's howl continues to ring in his ears. Still, he must do what he can to stop the researchers from destroying the documents. He looks around and tries to find a way past the glass.
He then steps past the shattered glass barrier and tries to block the researchers from destroying any more documents.[/ooc]
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Rataji nicks the fleeing creature with his icy ray. Falth peppers the su with arrows and Shohiraj spins by it and whacks it hard across the base of the neck. It spins to protects its young but instead spirals to the floor. The five whelps splatter at your feet, barely hanging on the their mother. You can just hear their nearly inaudible squeals.
Relieved, Thestil tends to her wounds with her wand. Joliryn and Eramay rush to the window. "Quick, break it open before they do more harm!" Not seeing an obvious entry, Zurnzal smashes through the hardened glass. The panicked researchers inside dump a last load of papers into the now milky fluid in the thin basin on the floor and it starts to fill the room with acrid haze once again. Zurnzal lunges over the table and pulls two handfuls back out.
"They are in! Retreat!" With that, the three men stumble over themselves to get to the open door and the relative safety beyond. A quick look at the other lab reveals it is empty now as well.
The remaining vooniths continue their escape, one disappearing completely out the corridor.
Rataji - (Shield, Haste, Shaken for 5 rounds) - 20 damage
Falth - (Shield of Faith, Haste, Shaken for 5 rounds)
Shohiraj - (Haste, confused)
Joliryn - (Shield, Haste)
Thestil - (Haste) - 39 damage
Eramay - (3 ST damage, Haste, Shaken for 2 rounds)
Zurnzal - (Shield of Faith, Bear's Endurance, Haste, Shaken for 2 rounds)
Red voonith (howled, concealment, fleeing) - 36 damage
Blue voonith (howled, unconscious) - 39 damage
Green voonith (howled, fled) - 31 damage
Yellow voonith (unconscious) - 41 damage
Purple su (unconscious) - 120 damage - 5 helpless whelps remain
With this room cleared and whatever documents remain secured, Zurnzal rushes across the large chamber to make his way into the other lab. The spell laid upon him carries him, practically flying, across the room, and he smashes into the window with a mighty kick.
Eremay follows Zurnzal so as to back him up if he finds trouble.
Shohiraj starts to move towards the glass doors, their importance obvious, but her brief moment of clarity fades, and her attention is drawn to the Su's whelps. She calls out a warning to her colleagues "Beware, There are more of them, they are multiplying and growing, they are everywhere. Help me!" as she lays into the whelps.
With Zurnzal opening the remaining room, Rataji hustles in to try and save any documents he can.
Falth follows behind Zurnzal and Emeray. "Where are you going? My pet yearns for more of your spilled blood." He yells out at the fleeing men, petting his bow lovingly.
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Shohiraj - 6 damage
Thestil - (4 wand charges used total)
Eramay - (3 ST damage)
As the whelp is splattered into the grating, Shohiraj bewilderingly turns her sap on herself and crushes her nose. As her eyes water, she suddenly comes to her senses. The four remaining whelps desperately crawl under their hulking mothers' form. Thestil flashes her wand again in an attempt to soothe her cuts and bruises.
With the monstrous threat quelled (for the moment at least), the group spreads to the neighboring labs to gather what evidence remains. Stepping through the pulpy mess, it is difficult to piece together much of value. What little is left speaks of numerous fantastical creatures and the psychic torture inflicted upon them.
------------------------------
When the group is ready, Joliryn (who has been guarding the corridor beyond) steadily intones. "It's time to go now, the guards will surely be notified of your presence. If you want to complete whatever mission you are on, we have to move out."
From the acid-hazed labs you enter a maze of assorted laboratories, hallways, storage lockers, and containment cells beyond. They appear to all be unoccupied, the researchers already have fled.
After the battle is over Eremay composes herself and yells to the others...
"We need people looking for evidence! We need some looking for treasure! If you cant do either then look for allies!"
Eremay then looks around for any useful treasure...
but is still a little shaken up due to the strength drain...
Zurnzal starts off sorting through the rooms and the documents they were able to recover, doing his best to recover any evidence that might remain. Internally, he is still cursing himself harshly, though, berating himself for allowing the guards to sound the alarm.
Once he has spent some time checking for information that might be helpful to his superiors, he decides that, if he can't do this job well enough by himself, he must need to find some others to help him get the job done. He spends the next several minutes searching for any allies that might help him accomplish his goals.
"Look for allies? Sounds boring," Falth says as he packs his bow, running for the the storage lockers and haphazardly throwing them open as he searches for treasure unimaginable.
__
Falth heads over to the desks and cabinets in the laboratory and rifles through them, not shy about pulling entire drawers out and inverting them as he searches frantically for evidence.
Shohiraj looks bemusedly around still not sure what happened and why her nose hurts, before shaking her head to refocus.
She shakes her head a little at Eramay Disappointing, treasure won't help us if we die here, or fail in our mission. I'm not about to contradict out leader in public though
Turning to Faith instead
"Boring, maybe, but allies never hurt when you're outnumbered. Stay focused on the priorities".
Shohiraj focuses first on the primary mission and starts rifling through the papers, looking for useful information.
When she is sure she has as much evidence as she can she turns to locating allies to aid our endeavour.
Searching the lockers and cabinets for evidence, Rataji attempts to look each over with a cautious eye.
Content with his search, the man ponders Could use a new headband....perhaps a pearl or two...scrolls even would be nice.
With a grim smile, he begins looking back through the documents he'd search with a new agenda.
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The group spreads out to the labyrinth of labs and storage rooms, careful to keep each other in view. Joliryn watches the back doors for the return of the vooniths, or worse.
Zurnzal, Eramay, Shohiraj, and Rataji are successful in finding many useful documents detailing past experiments, including locations where they were eventually sent in Golarion.
In a set of storage lockers, Eramay finds a delicate steel chain with five obsidian beads.
On the floor of a laboratory (apparently dropped in haste) Falth finds a scabbard sheathe that appears to be woven from sickly green spider silk.
Searching for other magical items, Rataji uncovers a pair: an unwieldy curiosity that appears to be the petrified leg of some giant insect covered in spines that makes it nearly impossible to grip comfortably and a statuette of a tentacle-headed, quadruped cast in sickly green metal.
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As Shohiraj comes back from the sudden daydream, she passes a vacuum-sealed tank labeled “Aballon Initiative.” Looking into the tank, she spots only a strange looking flatworm floating in the tank.
The worm nudges toward the side of the tank.
Her mind retreating back into the daydream - she can feel herself rushing to the door with unnatural speed. The door opens to an overwhelming darkness, but in the dream Shohiraj feels immense power and strikes it down.
The worm nudges the side of the tank once more.
------------------------------
As Zurnzal passes a large tank, the strange crab-like creature within scrambles menacingly to the glass wall. It presses and rubs against the glass (with swollen pustules nearly popping on its back) and enters Zurnzal's mind with a hissing voice.
"You are not one of the torturers are you? No, no, no. You have come to torture the torturers, haven't you?" it says almost gleefully.
Wha--what are you? Zurnzal thinks as he stares back at the creature. The corner of his mouth twitches up into a smile at the question, though, Torture the torturers, eh? I like that. Yes, that's what I'm here for. And I brought help. Hold on.
"Hey, guys," he calls out, "Come check this thing out. Looks like it might be one of those creatures the weird thing upstairs showed us."
"What strange materials." remarks the human. "Reveal your secrets to me!"
Hearing his companions cry, he hurries to Zurnzal's side. "My! What in the world is that thing? Sure it's friendly?"
Shohiraj looks at the flatworm and rolls her eyes yeesh, psychic symbolism? again? really? before calling the attention of everyone else "Hey guys, once you've checked out Zurnzals critter, I have another one here, it's doing that weird dream thing that beastie upstairs pulled"
Falth walks up to the tank and taps on the glass. "Heh. My kind of beast. I wonder if I could ride it. Does it speak to you?"
"Oh?" Falth runs over to Sho's worm tank and looks it up and down, but can't quite recognize it either.
Hearing his companions cry, he hurries to Zurnzal's side. "My! What in the world is that thing? Sure it's friendly?"
"I dunno about 'friendly,' but it's been saying that the people here have been torturing it, and seems interested in us if we're here to stick it to them."
Eremay moves to where Zurnzal found the creature and looks over it in awe as the others do. She then regains her composure and wonders why Falth would want to ride one. She then moves to Shohiraj's location and looks at the creature as well. She keeps an eye on Falth to ensure he does not try anything funny... like try and ride one of these things as he mentioned earlier.
"Could be we found allies here? The enemy of my enemy is a .... friend?" Eremay says aloud. "Do they understand speech?" she asks at those who discovered them.
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Rataji is able to identify the first two items, but the last two remain in doubt.
Necklace of shattered dreams: This delicate steel chain with five obsidian beads functions as a necklace of fireballs (type II), but it deals negative energy damage rather than fire damage (Will DC 14 for half ) and is at risk of exploding when subjected to negative energy damage rather than fire.
Scabbard of bleeding edges: This sheathe appears to be woven from sickly green spider silk. It functions as a scabbard of keen edges (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 318) except that it grants the affected weapon the wounding weapon enhancement for 5 minutes. When activated, sweet-swelling ichor sweats from between the threads for several seconds, and the affected blade appears noticeably serrated.
The petrified leg has a strong untyped aura, leading you to believe it might be a powerful metamagic rod of some type.
The statuette has an aura of moderate transmutation.
As more and more gather around the crab-like creature, it flashes its claws in a cramped display of prowess. The tank becomes slightly cloudy as the detritus within is shaken loose by the creature's increasingly violent movements. Its sonorous voice echoes in time within each of your minds.
"Release me, I have suffered under the scalpel and the syringe for too long; release me so that together we can lay waste to this hellhole together!"
Your eyes instinctively move to the formidable latches on top that strain against the growing maelstrom in the tank.
----------------------
For its part, the strange worm in the other tank ticks on the glass near the top, as if it is trying to escape, and Shohiraj feels slightly comforted, like she is reuniting with an old friend.
Zurnzal looks over his shoulder as if to confirm that they're doing this, then shrugs, reaches up, and release the latches on the tank. He backs up quickly to try to avoid the torrent of water that is likely to erupt from the tank. "Alright, beastie, what should we call you?"
Is this it? Is this how I will pass into greatness? By being known as the one who unleashed this great beast upon the Aspis's enemies? If that is to be my fate then...
"I accept, great Aaog-Shagga! Take me into yourself, and let us bring ruin upon Kar Zaweeb and his minions!"
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This crab-like nightmare has dedicated its existence to collecting brains, and now it seeks revenge against the head researcher that trapped it here.
Variant neh-thalggu
CE Large aberration
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 insight, +2 natural, –1 size)
hp 66 (8d8+30)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
DR 5/magic; Immune confusion; SR 18
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +9 (1d8+6 plus poison), 2 claws +9 (1d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 2d6+9)
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +12)
2nd (7/day)—acid arrow, alter self, invisibility
1st (7/day)—grease, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement (DC 13), shield, unseen servant
0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, mage hand, open/close (DC 12), prestidigitation, read magic
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 15
Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 28 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Arcane Strike, Combat Reflexes, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Fly +12, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, planes) +15, Perception +13, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +7, Use Magic Device +8
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Draconic, Undercommon; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ brain collection, strange knowledge
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Brain Collection (Ex) Aaog-Shagga can store up to seven humanoid brains and use them to enhance its knowledge and power. Each stored brain grants it a cumulative +1 insight bonus to AC, concentration checks, and Knowledge checks. Aaog-Shagga can extract a brain from a helpless opponent with a coup de grace attack, or as a standard action from a body that has been dead for no more than 1 minute. If Aaog-Shagga has fewer than seven brains, it gains 1 negative level for each missing brain. Currently it has five brains and 2 negative levels. Due to the extensive damage to its body from ongoing experiments, Aaog-Shagga can only benefit from consuming the best brains (those from a creature with 5 or more Hit Dice, such as one of the PCs). If it consumes such a brain, it gains the ability to cast 3rd-level spells (it knows dispel magic and slow and has 4 slots per day) and increases its caster level by 1; increases its insight bonus to AC by 1; increases its bonus on concentration and Knowledge checks by 2; and increases all of its attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws by 1. He also gains 5 more maximum and current hit points. Aaog-Shagga can only consume one brain in this way; its last slot is reserved for the brain of Kar-Zaweeb.
Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.
Strange Knowledge All Knowledge skills are class skills for Aaog-Shagga.
Aaog-Shagga is a neh-thalggu, a powerful alien entity more commonly known as a brain collector. It spent several years curating brains brought to it by a zealous cult of Night Heralds in the port city of Augustana before adventurers raided its residence and killed the cultists. Rather than slaying the aberration, the adventurers subdued it and dragged it to this facility. Here, Aaog-Shagga has suffered under the scalpel of the mutant researcher Kar Zaweeb, who has systematically removed and replaced the brains stored in the neh-thalggu’s body in search of some grand discovery. The brain collector has avoided telling the researcher of the terrible cosmic truths of its homeworld, knowing that the delight of watching his paltry mind go insane from these revelations would only prevent Aaog-Shagga from escaping sooner and rejoining the Dominion of the Black.
Under usual circumstances, Aaog-Shagga would tear apart a band of adventurers sent by the Aspis Consortium. The reason it stays its claws is because it hopes to destroy Kar Zaweeb utterly and consume his brain before fleeing this foul laboratory. No doubt the brain collector has employed even more alien logic to rationalize why it should not kill its new companions.
Without pause, a pincer emerges and impales Zurnzal through the throat.
As it rises from the tank, a commanding voice speaks out. "Do not fear, my new friends, he only suffered for a moment. It was a necessary misfortune, I am afraid. You will find me a far more worthy associate than he ever was."
The creature arises and shakes a few fibrous strands of stray plant material from its carapace. It looks around at all of you and finally turns to Zurnzal's limp body and bares its fangs. With intricate deftness, it dismembers his arms and legs as you watch in horror, devouring the pieces whole. Cracking open his skull like a nut with its pincer, it empties his brain into its maw and carefully swallows it whole, savoring the experience. Within moments, one of the jelly-like bubbles on its back turns a milky grey and you can clearly perceive Zurnzal's brain as it slides into its new home. When the grisly scene is complete, Aaog-Shagga slinks from the tank and onto the floor. With a thought, it closes the lid to its former prison cell.
"Let us go. We have much to accomplish."
Sensing your fear and revulsion, it moves even closer to the remaining group. "Fear me not, if I were to devour another one of you, I would not have space left to consume Kar Zaweeb. Consider yourselves safe by nature of association, for the time being."
Almost on cue, a new siren and series of flashing lights spring to life, echoing through the chambers and labs.
"Wait, I have never heard that alarm sequence before." Joliryn remarks, stepping carefully over the pool of fresh blood that coats the corridor floor. "That can't be good."
Watching the creature devour his companion, he smirks. "Well...I suppose so."
Glancing towards the other being he hesitates. "Uh..So the magical deals, I identified two. We have a Necklace of Shattered Dreams. It more or less explodes as negative energy. The scabbard here makes blades for deadly with a spoken word." Holding up the petrified leg and the statue, he asks "Anyone know what these are? I think the leg affects spell casting, but I'm not sure what it does exactly."
Looking back over to the still trapped creature, he ponders releasing it.
"Hahaha!" Falth applauds and laughs joyfully as the crab inhales Zurnzal. "Too cool. I would do the same, but I have a better idea of what this place needs to look like before I leave, and the body of a worm will not be sufficient." He grabs his bow tightly as the sirens blare. "We'll soon have company. Let's hurry on, unless any of you wish to become that cute-looking worm."
Shohiraj pauses to watch Zurnzal, her hand on the catch that would free the worm like creature. On seeing Zurnzals fate she moves her hand and takes a very slow step away her hands raised. "ah! maybe not...
"COME, MORTALS! WE MUST BE SWIFT TO BRING DEATH TO THOSE WHO DARE TO ASSAULT AAOG-SHAGGA!" The large, creature snaps its claws menacingly as its many legs shift excitedly and click against the hard stone floor.
Eremay watches Zurnzal give his life for this thing... and it gives her a momentary pause of sadness... he was the only one she thought was friendly to her... then she shakes it off.
"Well now I guess you are calling the big shots here. Where to and what do we do?"
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Rataji's curiousness leads him over to the worm's cage. After noticing the other's lack of interest, he opens the lid. With an unnatural speed, the worm wriggles up his arm and painlessly burrows into his nostril.
Sneezing as the worm slides up his nostril, the man shakes his head violently. "Wow! What a rush!"
Eyeing the spiky leg, he frowns. Metamagic is fun. Wish I knew what this did...
"Hey, Ahahoh...Crab dude. You seen them use this? Know what it does per chance?" he asks.
Eremay will use the scroll of Bulls Strength right before entering the lair to negate some of the effects she has on her.
Shohiraj shudders at the sight of the creature burrowing into Rataji,
and she takes a further step away, before shaking herself out of it.
"I never object to a little edge in combat" Shohiraj says with a small smile and a nod of thanks at Faith and Rataji, while never getting closer to Rataji than absolutely necessary...
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"This is it." Joliryn says solemnly and you complete your remaining preparatory spells. As Shohiraj opens the blast door, the sounds of tortured screams become readily apparent.
Dozens of conduits and tubes run up and down the walls of this lab, connecting a trio of beds to a trio of large glass vats to the west. Within the vats undulate formless blobs of organic matter that briefly grow arms, pseudopods, and faces before those features melt back into the roiling masses. An unconscious humanoid lies strapped to each bed with heavy leather restraints ratcheted tightly closed, which the sleeping forms strain against wildly as they scream madly at phantasmal terrors.
The screams of the bound "patients" echo hideously in the smallish lab. Inside the glass vats the monstrosities within boil and turn as they grow unnaturally and take form. Some already push against the confines of glass and tubing. It won't be long before they are simply too large and break free.
Joliryn (shield, bear's endurance, keen edge)
Eramay (bull's strength, invisibility)
Shohiraj (shield of faith, invisibility, heroism)
Thestil (implanted Mesmeric Mirror)
Falth (shield of faith)
Aaog-Shagga (shield of faith, invisibility)
Rataji (invisibility)
Eremay stands in the doorway and checks out the room looking for a threat after seeing the men strapped to the tables...
Aaog-Shagga, the great and terrible, seems to exude excitement and bloodlust as the doors open before him. "We are very near, now. Soon, I shall find my great enemy and destroy him. Then, I shall consume his mind and become more powerful still! Come, petty mortals, let us destroy the abominations that Kar Zaweeb has wrought!" As the words echo in your minds, the enormous creature's many legs leave the floor, one at a time, until Aaog-Shagga is drifting several inches above the floor, though you cannot see it, given his invisibility.
'Should we kill these things now or come back to them later' wonders the enchanter.
Peering into the room, he tries to determine if there are any immediate threats waiting their entry. Not seeing anything particularly dangerous, he stealthily moves to the open door.
Shohiraj sneaks forward unseen, readying her sap to strike any hostile foe.
Falth stands at the entrance with his bow prepped and ready for the first monstrous creature to explode from its cozy vat. He keeps an eye on the immediate area for anything that resembles a trap.
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Joliryn moves quickly into the room. As she surveys the helpless "patients" you may sense something.
Eramay and Falth focus their attention on this room. The patients continuing to squirm and scream in pain, but they notice something more distinct. Precisely as each "patient's" terrors peak, the blobs in the vats at the far end of the room grow and form noticeably, as if the "patient's" horror is somehow feeding their development. The lights on the panels next to each vat max out as well.
Shohiraj, Thestil, and Rataji move forward carefully. From the other room there is subtle chittering noises and then a loud crash. Rataji rounds the corner just in time to see the following.
From that next room, an ominous voice speaks.
"You have made it here, foolhardy souls, but it is here that you will surely die."
He then reads from a scroll and turns blurry.
Joliryn (shield, bear's endurance, keen edge)
Eramay (bull's strength, invisibility)
Shohiraj (shield of faith, invisibility, heroism)
Thestil (implanted Mesmeric Mirror)
Falth (shield of faith)
Vat creatures
Kar Zaweeb (blur)
Rataji (invisibility)
Aaog-Shagga (shield of faith, invisibility)
Aogg drifts into the room and, finding the space rather cramped, rises in the air several more feet, until his is hovering above the nearest "patient", his many eyes scanning the room for some sign of his foe.
When Kar Zaweeb appears before Rataji, a furious mental scream erupts in the minds of all those nearby, as Aogg curses himself for not being the first to locate the hated man.
Eremay moves through the room to join Rataji by the southern door and motions for the others to come along as well... she eyes the tiefling as well who seems to be lagging behind...