"Let's not get overconfident..there could still be some nasty surprises awaiting us"
"Fascinating" Andrea breathes as the Snapjaw is impaled on Kevins Sword.."I wonder what it needs to create such..things"
"Looks to me like the first step is acquiring a hammer and a clock and having the two meet repeatedly."
Galadan considers their opportunities for a moment.
"Mistress Wren, do you think you might be willing to send Plumie with a message for our Advocate friend. Perhaps he can send some guards to pick up the criminal in our care."
Wren looks at Galadan and then at Plumie, issuing a series of chirps and head twitches toward her feathery friend.
Plumie responds in kind, punctuated with a beating of her wings.
Wren frowns, disappointed.
"Uhm, no, Galadan. Plumie, uhm, doesn't want to go. You see, she loves me too much to want to go far, especially into the arms of someone she does not know."
Wren looks to the rest of the party.
"Are we done here? We might be ready to go back, yes? I could use some sleep and this last scroll is quite heavy. We should get moving, dearies?"
"We have not finished exploring this place yet..."
"Let's deal with the Trapdoor first"
Galadan detects for evil again, focusing mostly upward. He also listens for sounds on the other side of the trapdoor.
Wren puts her ivory 'scroll' on the stack of gear/loot that they have collected so far, and gets ready to follow Mr. Hastur/Galadan up the trapdoor.
"Come along, dearies. We do have much to do if we're going to all that we want today. Be careful, now, dearies. Might be another of them angry doggies up there."
"It is very likely that one of those creatures is up there as well." Galadan says, gesturing towards the trap door above them and nodding at Wren at the same time.
'Aldous' nods, and moves forward to open the trapdoor...
Ward on Hastur as he opens the door.
The bursty sound catches Wren in mid babble...
"...blahblah blah blahblah blah...two chromatic cucumbers...blahblah blah...stuck them right there! blahblah blah...blahblah blah...weird smell so I shoved...blahblah blah..."
Fort Save
...and she keeps going, hardly pausing...
"...blahblah blah blahblah blah...noise like a loud fart...blahblah blah...unholy penguins, two of them blahblah blah...blahblah blah...Fish! I says, FISH!...blahblah blah..."
On her turn, she will give Kevin her last with Diviner's Fortune. (Diviner's Fortune: +2 (8/day) (Sp) Creature touched gains +2 to attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws for 1r. 8/8 used today.)
Hastur grimaces, but stoically accepts the pain.
He then shoots a glare ar Galadan.
"I thought that you checked it...?"
'Aldous' then proceeds to attack the Homunculus!
Fort.Save
Andrea seems to avoid the worst effects of the sudden explosion.Indeed she hardly notices it.
Galadan grimaces. "I had listened for enemies, and sensed for the signs of a corrupted soul. Who can tell if we have fallen prey to trap or weapon."
"Aye none off us are skilled in the detection of traps..perhaps we need a wand to assist us with that in future..but for now let's just end this thing."
Nym staggers to the side, dropping his rapier and catching himself on the nearest wall/counter/companion..."Urrghhhghgh, now I know how Kevin feels in the morning..." He mumbles while trying to compose himself.
|
Hastur seems not stunned by the booming noise - but it seems to have taken a toll on his accuracy. He flais wildly with his claws but manage to contact only once.
The claw rips out big chunks from the Snapjaw Homunculus who won't be able to stand another hit - but it seems it wasn't enough to kill him off.
Wren stops babbling for a moment to finally acknowledge the interruption.
That was rude! I was talking to my friends!
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10
hp 18/25
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Spd 30 ft.
Init: +7 (+3 Dex, +2 Reactionary, +2 Diviner)
Spell effects: none
Fort:
Power Atack:
Damage:
Round 2:
Wren yawns.
'Aldous' dusts his hands off.
"Right, then. Let's explore beyond that final door downstairs..."
He then heads back downstairs, and takes an exaggerated amount of care checking the door for traps...
...before opening it.
"I would think the more commonly used doors wouldn't be trapped. Entry ways and potential entry ways (like the roof trap door) certainly might be." Galadan says in a bored tone.
Wren follows along, tiredly.
Andrea maintains her ward on Hastur as he opens the door.
Kevin opens his flask and tips it back, his eyes widen and he quickly looks into its opening, a look of panic on his face as he comes to the understanding that he has no more booze.
Wren casts Detect Magic as others enter, quickly scouting for magic.
"Coffins? Interesting. Why are they here?" Wren babbles as she scans, with little filtering of the words coming out of his mouth.
'Aldous' conducts a cursory scan of the room...
"Well, at a guess, I would say either to act as lunch, to provide a new set of clothes, or more probably, to be on-sold... Many creatures are worth far more dead, then alive; I remember in the anatomy labs of Caliphas they employed 'resurrection men' to keep them well-stocked in bodies..."
"Or perhaps to create flesh golems. In order to make them, one does need flesh, presumably."
"Whatever the reason there was still a crime here and the perpretrator must pay" Andrea says grim facedly
I do hope we don't have to face another Golem beyond that door I don't think we are in a fit state to do so
|
|
Wren detects no magic - but several of the items seem still very useful for the group:
Treasure: The crates in this room hold five pots of bladeguard*, 10 doses of bloodblock, 5 applications of silver weapon blanch*, 5 applications of cold iron weapon blanch*, and a single application of adamantine weapon blanch.
The stones on the floor look a little bit worn and scratched leading from the west door into the middle of this room - but it seems the path carries on towards the bare east wall.
The door in the South is unlocked and no traps detectable. It feels cold to the touch.
'Aldous' cocks his head to one side.
"Have a look at this: The stones on the floor look a little bit worn and scratched leading from the west door into the middle of this room - but it seems the path carries on towards the bare east wall..."
He then moves over to investigate the offending section of wall...
Nym will get into position near the secret door, ready to defend whoever opens it.
Wren cradles her new wand as the door is opened, ready to unleash a variety of magical assaults should they be needed.
Kevin stands ready to open the door.
|
|
Secret Distribution room
This room contains grisly things in jars, two complete skeletons of monstrous creatures, a coffin, and a handcart.
The jars contain various preserved specimens waiting to be shipped, including a preserved drow head, a pickled pair of hill giant eyes, the half-changed head and spine of a wererat, and a trio of chuul tentacles. The skeletons are both owlbears, while the coffin holds the body (preserved with gentle repose) of a recently slain traveler human. A narrow corridor to the east ends at a locked iron grille
The Mongrelmen show up and mention towards the iron grill.
"Home there" you hear in broken common.
Wren will gingerly move up to see if she can pluck some owlbear feathers. If there are some feathers on or near the skeletons, she will put into one of her sacks, others she will begin to weave into her armor.
"OOOH!!! Treasure!" Wren begins to chitter excitedly.
|
|
The owlbear skeletons seem astinishingly well preserved with feather to collect for Wren.
Treasure: A ledger sits in the handcart, listing the objects in the room, their buyers, and delivery destinations. All of them are destined for scholars in Caliphas and have commanded high prices. A wand of gentle repose (28 charges) rests on top of the ledger.