Jayse, Orin, and Jofram emerge from the separate doors then slam them shut. A few moments later, a wailing howl of wind blasts the door nearest Orin and Jayse, shooting dust around the doorframe and shaking the door mightily. But after a minute, the noise dies down and quiet returns to the ruin. Everyone looks like a ghost, coated in a fine layer of dust and sediment. Runnels streak your faces where your watering eyes have washed away the dust.
Jayse notices his left hand still holds the crystal ink-wells purloined from the scriptorium. The corridor stretches away into the distance, vanishing around the smooth curve of the wall.
The gnome coughs up a lungful of libram then casts a quick spell, shedding all of the dust like a second skin.
"Well, you people look like crap."
Ushari takes out her wand and says "My turn..."
"Well, you people look like crap."
Jayse smiles through his own coughing fit. "I'm sure you meant to say 'good job in there'…"
He gives his clothes an ineffectual couple of pats -- each producing a cloud of powder rivaled only by what is left on his clothes -- before giving up and regarding the items in his hand. "So, I was able to grab these… things." He tosses them to the gnome, "Don't suppose they're the secret key to this place? Or at least something that makes that little run-in with the dustemental worth while, huh?"
He claps Orin on the back, "And wrestling that thing? You have balls, I'll give you that much."
"Well, you people look like crap."Jayse smiles through his own coughing fit. "I'm sure you meant to say 'good job in there'…"
He gives his clothes an ineffectual couple of pats -- each producing a cloud of powder rivaled only by what is left on his clothes -- before giving up and regarding the items in his hand. "So, I was able to grab these… things." He tosses them to the gnome, "Don't suppose they're the secret key to this place? Or at least something that makes that little run-in with the dustemental worth while, huh?"
He claps Orin on the back, "And wrestling that thing? You have balls, I'll give you that much."
Orin chuckles at the expression.
Thanks, though I wish I'd known about his evaporation abilities. That was impressive. I wonder if there's anything worth salvaging within the construct's body, like more-preserved papers? Straehan, can you cast Gust of Wind? If we could get it to disperse into its gaseous form and then blow the residual papers out into the corridor, we might be able to see what papers it is composed of. Or, we could press on and leave it be.
"So, what's the plan, then?"
Jayse smiles through his own coughing fit. "I'm sure you meant to say 'good job in there'..."
He gives his clothes an ineffectual couple of pats -- each producing a cloud of powder rivaled only by what is left on his clothes...
Straehan smiles, "Potato, potahto. Let me help you with that..." He casts a spell and prestidigitates the dust off Jayse's expensive coat... and just his coat. With a grin.
...before giving up and regarding the items in his hand. "So, I was able to grab these... things." He tosses them to the gnome, "Don't suppose they're the secret key to this place? Or at least something that makes that little run-in with the dustemental worth while, huh?"
Strae catches the inkwells deftly and examines them. His jaw goes slack. "These are diamond... gotta be worth 50,000 sovereigns each. We better stash these someplace safe."
"Thanks, though I wish I'd known about his evaporation abilities. That was impressive. I wonder if there's anything worth salvaging within the construct's body, like more-preserved papers? Straehan, can you cast Gust of Wind? If we could get it to disperse into its gaseous form and then blow the residual papers out into the corridor, we might be able to see what papers it is composed of. Or, we could press on and leave it be."
The gnome frowns and looks uncomfortable. "I can blast it with wind. I'm hesitant to do it though. That creature is maybe the only one of its kind in existence. It's a wonder that it even exists at all. I'd hate for us to accidentally destroy it."
"These are diamond... gotta be worth 50,000 sovereigns each.
"DIBS!" When you look over, he's got his best sh!t-eating grin on.
"I'm hesitant to do it though. That creature is maybe the only one of its kind in existence. It's a wonder that it even exists at all. I'd hate for us to accidentally destroy it."
All humor drains from Jayse's face, "Yes, what a shame to destroy such a wonderful creature. Did you see the wonderful love-pats it so willingly bestowed upon us all? Wasn't that wonderful?" He shrugs, "Though honestly I'm more than happy to leave that s-o-b alone… no reason to piss it off further… wonder or no. Do we still think theres something in the library worth risking its wrath? Or are we ready to see where the coin takes us?"
"Not even you, Jayse, are that cynical. I recall watching you fight a pack of ogres to defend a unicorn. This is just another unicorn... with a hell of a haymaker... and a surly disposition. Actually, sounds like I'm describing you."
"More to the point, I don't recall seeing any paper in the golem much bigger than a coin. Too small to be a scroll or more than a fragment of a note. I'm for leaving this fellow alone."
"I don't know... I can be pretty cynical."
He looks at the group, "We still good on resources? If so, let's see if the coin can tell us which way is the way."
You drop the coin and it immediately sets out up the hallway - towards where Orin's vision indicates the Second Stair and the Chamber of the Gods awaits.
You quickly snatch the coin up again.
"Not even you, Jayse, are that cynical. I recall watching you fight a pack of ogres to defend a unicorn."
Jofram laughs at what appears to be the gnome's strange sense of humor. Glancing at the looks on Straehan and Jayse's faces, though... Jofram's grin widens. "Wait, is he serious?!"
The gnome nods. "Absolutely! There was even an Ettin in that crowd if I recall correctly... I attribute it to Jayse being in his 'girly romantic' phase at that point."
"Not even you, Jayse, are that cynical. I recall watching you fight a pack of ogres to defend a unicorn. This is just another unicorn... with a hell of a haymaker... and a surly disposition. Actually, sounds like I'm describing you."
She gives Straehan a steady look. "Soooo you think that creature is some sort of wonderful creature? Because it is possibly unique? As I recall, the Dweller in Darkness is also unique, do you still wish to allow it to survive?" She shakes her head, muttering to herself, "Crazy gnomes..."
Jofram laughs at what appears to be the gnome's strange sense of humor. Glancing at the looks on Straehan and Jayse's faces, though... Jofram's grin widens. "Wait, is he serious?!"
Ushari nods in response to Jofram, "Yeah, he sure did. I was there remember?"
As the path is revealed, she pipes up. "Would it be wise to find a place to rest before proceeding further...or is no place safe in here?"
She gives Straehan a steady look. "Soooo you think that creature is some sort of wonderful creature? Because it is possibly unique? As I recall, the Dweller in Darkness is also unique, do you still wish to allow it to survive?" She shakes her head, muttering to herself, "Crazy gnomes..."
The gnome takes the argument with a shrug, "Apples and oranges. The Dweller isn't unique. He's a big, nasty, Nightwalker - that's it. He also wants to eat our livers on toast before polishing off the planet. That's something different. But what we're talking about here is going after that golem, who seems content leave us alone now, and possibly destroying an utterly unique creation." He lightly tosses the acrobat one of the 50,000 GP inkwells. "Why don't you just smash this against the wall? It would amount to the same sort of senseless waste of a rare object."
He looks at the group, "We still good on resources? If so, let's see if the coin can tell us which way is the way."
I'm still ready to press on, but before we ascend the stairs I'll want to spend a few moments in preparation. Everyone else ready?
Jayse shoots a dark look at Jofram and Strae, "This is just down-right character assassination. Sure you can make it sound any which way when you tell half the story." He looks over at Jofram with a dismissive shake of his head, "We thought the unicorn was a woman… least that's what it sounded like when it screamed. Fin -- an elf girl who fought with us at the time -- ran in all crazy-like… it was fight or leave her to get flattened by a half-dozen giants. At the time, it seemed the decent thing to do." He gives a 'see? makes perfect sense' look before looking over at Orin.
"I'm still ready to press on, but before we ascend the stairs I'll want to spend a few moments in preparation. Everyone else ready?
"I have a few potions. Enlarge, Rage, and one that protects me from evil.. which of these should i be prepared with?" As he waits for an answer, he continues with the group, "And one other thing. Resources are getting tight. If we call for a retreat… no hesitations. We book it. This is when things get real dangerous. I'm fine with pressing on if people are comfortable with it." He looks at each of the team members in turn to make sure they understand how deadly serious he is.
Strae nods, "You'll never mistake me for a hero, Jayse. I'm always ready to run - either away from trouble or towards a pretty woman."
As he waits for an answer, he continues with the group, "And one other thing. Resources are getting tight. If we call for a retreat… no hesitations. We book it. This is when things get real dangerous. I'm fine with pressing on if people are comfortable with it." He looks at each of the team members in turn to make sure they understand how deadly serious he is.
Ushari stares at Jayse intently, "Are you feeling OK Jayse? For a moment there I thought you said it was OK to continue on...OHHH...you were serious, gotcha." She glances at each of her companions, before continuing "I have no problem continuing on now, but we are in dangerous territory now. If ANYONE calls retreat, no one will run faster than I...well except for Strae here."
Strae smiles at the jab, "Well you know the old saying, I don't have to outrun the monsters chasing us... I just have to be faster than you. Probably the greatest bit of wisdom ever."
Our heroes walk a long corridor that terminates in another winding, open air, staircase - seemingly without end. Or, at least, it would be endless save that about 40' below the staircase has collapsed and fallen down the chute, only the broken teeth of its remains cling to the wall. Above, approximately 35' up, the chute is completely choked with rubble. It appears the upper stairway collapsed as well at some point but the chunks were large enough to block the majority of the debris from raining down. Much like in the First Stairway, the wide flat stairs at your landing climb up and exit at a right angle to your current spot - at a well-lit landing. The edge of a few stairs are nicked or broken but this section of stairway looks quite solid overall. The alien smell of the air in the other staircase is here as well, though now it is tinged with a whisper of the scent of stone-dust.
"Give me a moment…" The ranger kneels down, as if examining the floor. His eyes have taken on a glazed look, unfocused yet searching.
When the companions arrive at the stairs, Orin chants a spell and illusory images of his Jofram-disguise spring into being. He then produces a vial and a bag of alchemical substances before nodding to Jayse.
Jayse and Straehan mount the staircase, going cautiously, looking for crumbling stairs or any sign of possible collapse. Towards the top, Straehan takes the lead to check out a discoloration along the wall. He steps on a stair that is slicker than greased ice. Sheer luck prevents him from sliding off the stairs. When he regains his footing, the gnome checks the stairs closely.
"I don't know what this crap is, but it's all over these stairs."
Jayse's eyes scan the walls, trying to find a path that will allow his magically-slippered feet to safely walk past the ice and through the door.
Jayse looks around and realises he could simply walk the wall to bypass the 'gack'. It appears to be limited to the stairs and just a small bit of wall, no more than a foot above the stair.
Jayse puts a hand on Strae's shoulder, "I'll use the wall to get through the door." He pulls a long rope from his small backpack and begins tying it around his waist. Once done, he tosses it back to Orin. "You guys keep ahold of this. I'll carry Strae with me through the door, so he can keep checking for traps. Once we give the 'all clear', you guys use the rope to safely make you way up behind us." He gives the team a second to voice any concerns or objections before he picks up the gnome, activates his slippers, and walks up onto the wall. He walks carefully, trying to be cautious of any unseen grease spots on the wall.
Jayse grabs the gnome and carries him to safety, depositing him firmly in the corridor. Straehan inspects the passageway and gives him a thumb's up. "Not seeing anything trappy here. Looks good."
Everyone moves carefully up the stairs a bit, deploying the rope between them as the monk and sorcerer survey the upper landing. Jayse turns around in time to see something large emerge from a shadow down the chute, below his comrades. It crawls swiftly from a hole in the wall... well, actually - having seen entirely too many of these in recent months - it's more of a Gate. The beast squeezes from the gate, and unfurls its limbs, all eight of them. It's a monster - nearly 15' across. With a speed and quietness Jayse can scarcely believe, the massive creature races silently up the wall heading for the threesome...
Ushari finds herself staring eye to too-many-eyes with a massive black spider. She looks down to see its fangs buried in her chest, pumping her full of poison.
ORDER: ????
70|70
78|79
72|72
34|52
60|60
Heroism - Jayse/Orin
Mirror Images (5) - Orin
Bad Guys
Ugghhh...I HATE spiders...
Even as the spider's dripping fangs retract, Ushari feels the poison overwhelming her nerves. The cleric is quickly locked into immobility, her face a frozen mask of horror.
Orin wracks his brain for knowledge on this hideous creature...
SHADOW SPIDER
AC: Good (save its Touch AC)
HP: Very Good
Best Save: Fort
Worst Save: Will
Strengths:
- Attacks with four claws and a paralytic poisonous bite
- Fast Healing
- Several Combat Feats
- Can spray Slick Silk (powerful Grease spell)
- Can Shadow Walk at will
- Multiple senses used to hunt (i.e. blinding it won't work)
The Shadow Spider, once it has latched onto its prey tends to vanish into its pocket dimension to dine. Venturing into its pocket dimension is hazardous, for if the Spider is killed, its pocket begins to collapse. In relatively short order it vanishes and anyone inside it is ejected randomly into either the Prime Material or the Plane of Shadow.
Jayse, Strae--help! It's a shadow spider--it's what made all these slick spots. Don't bother with glitterdust, blindness won't help. And we need either bright light or total darkness, or this thing is going to pull us into the shadow plane with it!
Knowing the power of its venom, the Spider pokes Ushari to ensure she is subdued before turning its attention on its next two victims. Fangs and a single claw sink into Jofram's flesh, flooding the ranger with venom. Orin blinks once and three of his duplicates are expertly vivisected by the spider's wickedly long clawed limbs. The spider turns on him clearly suspicious of the remaining, swirling duplicates.
ORDER: Spider, Jayse, Straehan, Orin, Jofram (assuming he saves), Ushari
MAP: The Itsy-Bitsy Spider (Same Map as Before)
70|70
39|79
72|72
34|52
60|60
Heroism - Jayse/Orin
Mirror Images (2) - Orin
Paralyzed - Ushari - rnd 2 of 4
Bad Guys