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Atronia keeps her feet despite the wave. Her clothes soaked, she sighs. "Well, we'd have gotten wet under that rain anyway."
While she doesn't notice anything particular about the box or bottles, she still goes to pick it up. "Where did this box even come from? Had anyone noticed it before? Well, I think we better head to that tower in the city. And be careful, I think this is bound to become a violent affair."
As she looks at the crate in her arms, she casts detect magic and realizes those bottles are of some interest. "Those bottles might be useful too. Looks like potions."
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"Ack! Owowow!" Liora gasps as she's pushed about by the water and pummeled by falling debris from the shrine's ceiling.
"Gah! Well to answer your question, it sounds like this hunk of rock is a prison for something...someone? Anyway, the Elemental Lords want them to stay captive which I guess is why we're getting all the push-back here," she answers Grythyk. "But I think there's still creatures here that want to help us, if we can get to them - a woman frozen in ice. Looks like the only good way to go is forward through that City of Ice so hopefully we'll be able to find this woman and set her free."
She glances down at the crate that had come to rest against Newt's knees. "You say they're probably potions? Hum...let me see them." Carefully taking each of the bottles out of the crate, the sylph unstoppers each one and dabs a tiny drop of its content out onto her finger for tasting.
"Eh...no idea what most of these are, but this one here, that's a potion of Remove Disease," she declares. "One of you that likes fighting up close and personal should probably hang on to it!"
After stepping close to Trixalana for a bit of healing, Liora nods and gestures towards the frozen city ahead of them. "I'm ready to get moving again if you guys are."
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Newt nods and tries to wring himself off as best he can, thankful for the environmental protection provided by the Society.
"I-I'm not sure the lady in ice is friend or foe," the young man hesitantly posits, "The oracle wasn't specific. Um, just to say we should be careful."
"I wish I knew that trick that I've seen Society wizards use."
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“The crater has been claimed, but our divinations indicate that Ayrzul is not happy about this! We’re experiencing unexpected surges in gravity everywhere, especially near the crater and vault!” Sorrina Westyr declares, madly strapping herself down as everything as everything rattles and shakes around her. “Hold on!”
Meanwhile behind her, Drendle Dreng is holding up a bottle, as he weaves back and forth in the convulsing landscape. “I feel the earth move under my feet, I feel the sky tumbling down... WOOOOOO HOOOOO!”
The cracked off portion of the tower makes for a small dais up a set of shallow stairs. Small rivulets of water trickle down, as the frost and rime begins to cool. Atop the dais is a small rectangular passageway, with stairs leading down.
Flanking the entrance are two half fish creatures, sweating and looking around nervously.
As you crest the stairs, they hiss reflexively, while raising their sweaty flabby arms tipped in sharp claws!
Liora the Skydruid
Newt the Drowned
Volyana
Red Fishman
Jyrrar Rivurder
Atronia
Vesi the Devilfish
Blue Fishman
Trixalana
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"~I feel my heart start to trembling, whenever you're around~" Liora sings as the group set off to the tower, a large grin on her face. "I like that Dreng guy - he's got style!"
As they head inside what's left of the tower and find a path leading down - and guardians guarding it - Liora's eyes widen with surprise and recognition.
"Those are deep spawn!" she exclaims. "Normally they'd probably be at home around here since the cold doesn't bother them much...but now that it's warmed up, I'd say that they're not too happy!"
From her position at the back, Liora reaches out and taps Jyrrar on the shoulder. "Time for you and the rest to do what you do best," she chuckles.
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The image of Sorrina Westyr appears as she helps an enormous water elemental dispatch a band of gargoyles. “We do not stand alone in our efforts, my friends. Our teams discovered a band of rebels fighting back against our adversaries and we have begun to coordinate with them. Some much needed assistance should be arriving shortly.”
The stone flung from Newt's sling bounces ineffectively off of the Sweaty slimy Deep One's hide.
Lunging toward the closest figure, the slimy fish man lashes out with his sharp talons! Catching a fleshy part of Volyana's ribs in its grip, the fingers tear through her skin with a sickening RRRIIIIIPPP!
Liora the Skydruid
Newt the Drowned
Volyana
Red Fishman
Jyrrar Rivurder
Atronia
Vesi the Devilfish
Blue Fishman
Trixalana
The first set of Pummeling blows are enough to cause the first Deep one to slump to the ground, it's rubber like skin bouncing and wiggling as it hits. The second Deep One, filled with rage, charges forward to take out the intruders, before falling to a multitude of readied attacks
Behind the So Called guardians of this entrance, are the 10 foot wide stairways leading down into Aucturn's Tear. Afer about minutes of heading down stairs, you finally hit the bottom, in underground tunnels. Powerful gusts of warm air howl through the twisting ice tunnel. The passages turn upon themselves and end in sudden precipices. The footing is treacherous, and a step to either side drops into chasms clouded by freezing mist.
Navigating these tunnels are difficult, but someone with a suitable Climb check, or Survival to not get lost and fall off the edge into the depths of the asteroid. Slick tunnels and melting ice make it hazardous to move quickly through the tunnels.
Number of Sucesses [ ] [ ]
Skill Checks 12 - 15 - 18
Saves 10 - 11 - 13
Hazards: The tunnels here are slick, and creatures moving faster than half speed must succeed at an Average Acrobatics check or fall prone. If that PC’s result was also below the Easy skill check DC for the subtier, he also slides toward one of the chasm precipices; he must succeed at a Hard Reflex save or slip over the edge. The PC falls a distance equal to 10 feet times the APL, taking (assuming low gravity) 1d4 damage per 10 feet fallen before striking a ledge from which he can climb back up to the main path. Climbing the ice cliffs here involves an Average Climb check.
Haunts: The unholy will of Kelizandri lurks in the frozen tunnels here, and the whisper of his presence is enough to send mortals into a blind panic. PCs who are compelled to flee this manifestation of the Brackish Emperor move at their full speed, subjecting them to the hazard above.
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Between Jyrrar's notice, and everyone else's quick thinking, you are able to determine that the Black spectre swimming through the ice is Some sort of negative planar anomaly, that could be dispelled and dispersed with equal positive force! The walls themselves seem to be amplifying this feeling, the crystalline ice structures reflecting and refracting the dark energy.
Newt
Atronia
Liora the Skydancer
Jyrrar
Volyana
Trixalana
Vesi
Planar Anomaly
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Atronia casts Light on her sword to better see where she's going as she carefully makes her way along the ledges, following Jyrrar's tips. When she notices the shadow, her eyes open wide.
"While I'm sure this isn't him, I'm a little worried. That Leviathan shape reminds me of the elemental lord they mentioned earlier... Please, someone tell me they can throw some positive energy at it."
Atronia, worried, prepares for the worst and starts singing, but her voice is not as loud as usual, as she hopes not to attract unwanted attention.
The positive energy released from Liora's wand causes the inky blackness to subside. With Jyrrar and Volyana taking the lead, you can make it quickly through the rest of the Icy Tunnels farther into the Aucturn's Tear.
Eventually, the icy tunnels level off, with water collecting into bone-chilling pools. The tunnels themselves seem to be sweating as water droplets slough off into icy chunks and slick floors. Through the ice, you can make out the carvings of an enormous dragon devouring cities, everything falling under its vicious claws and teeth.
The hallways here are 40 feet tall, with deep pools of water in the lowest areas of the tunnel. Everywhere else, there is about an inch of water covering the ground.
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"Well, that looks promising," Liora mutters as the group proceeds through the tunnels and the carvings underneath the ice become more visible. "Let's watch where we're stepping, okay? This water is cold enough on just the feet - I definitely wouldn't want any of us to end up going for a swim in it if we can help it."
Feeling uneasy, the sylph continues glancing this way and that.
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Atronia tries to have a look at the carvings as she passes through, while also doing her best to avoid the pools without her distraction.
"As much as I'm intrigued by those carvings and whoever might have made them, I think we should avoid lingering here too long. This unusual warmth is making things melt, and I'm not going to wait until a giant block of ice falls on my head..."
As Vesi slithers into the icy water, she feels a slight tug toward the center. Narrowing her senses, a column of water begins to rapidly spin, tugging Vesi toward the center!
As the team examines the carvings, a slightly louder dripping echoes in the corridor behind them, followed by strained heavy breaths. Large glassy eyes set deep into the Deep Ones skull glimmer with sadistic glee, as he grins with rows of sharp teeth.
Jyrrar Rivurder
Newt the Drowned
Atronia
Trixalana
Water Elemental
Liora the Skydruid
Vesi the Devilfish
Deep One
Volyana