As Dezco - his breath held within the cold water - swings the door inwards he finds himself looking at a vertical surface of water... It seems that some form of enchantment is preventing water from passing into the room beyond the door... Indeed, the dolphin summoned by Luther, suddenly blinks into existence on a dry balcony running around a pool of water within the room...
...and instantly, a large blubbery shape moves to the surface of the pool...
XP 200
N Medium animal
Init +2; Senses blindsight 120 ft., low-light vision; Perception +9
Defense
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 11 (2d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Offense
Speed swim 80 ft.
Melee slam +3 (1d4+1)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Perception +9, Swim +13; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
SQ hold breath
Ecology
Environment any ocean
Organization solitary, pair, or pod (3–18)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Hold Breath (Ex) A dolphin can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 6 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Dolphins are social predators that hunt shallow seas and rivers in large family groups called pods. Sailors are fond of dolphins and frequently tell tales of dolphins saving drowning fishermen or killing sharks with blows from their powerful snouts.
If the dolphin can attack, it bites at the water creature.
Flopping into the water, Luther's dolphin surges forward and bites the creature in the water...
...an almighty howl echoes around the room as the creature recoils in pain... Loud enough even to be heard beyond the water barrier...
Diving beneath the dolphin, the creature - all teeth - surges vertically upwards, slamming into Luther's summoned creature...
Luther moves around the ledge with his flail and shield and prepares to aid Dezco.
The dolphin misses a bite at his opponent.
Moving forward, Symon holds his breath as he exits the water and hurries across the stone walkway, then jumps back into the water. He moves up behind the dolphin, readying his rapier.
As Symon dives into the water, he creates a terrific splash… and proceeds to sink – fortunately the water is no more than ten feet deep and, within seconds, he is stood at the bottom of the pool. From his position he can see a tunnel, currently closed with a portcullis styled gate, heading to a pool in the east…
Drusellia, still immersed within the water of the corridor, thrusts her hands forwards and fires a salvo of Magic Missiles at the bunyip.
Continuing to fight with the dolphin, the blubbery creature misses as it attempts to sink it’s teeth deep into the cetacean’s flanks.
...swimming away from the platform that encircles the pool, the beast moves away from Dezco and starts to loom towards Symon...
Luther points to the pool.
"Dez, flank with Symon."
Luther goes in swinging his flail.
No attack lands.
Flanking with Dezco, Symon strikes at the floating creature.
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Sneak Attack (if allowed):
"That's it," Dru says, "I'm out of magic missiles and nearly out of spells."
Jumping into the frigid water, Dezco slashes at the beast – his weapon slows as it strikes the water yet he still manages to rake a deep gouge into the flanks of the creature. Symon takes advantage of the distraction and stabs forward with his rapier… it pierces deep into the creature’s exposed stomach and, as he withdraws it, blood floods into the churning water.
Close to death, the creature flies into a rage – biting at Symon as it swims away from Dezco…
...and, on the other side of the portcullis gate, those of the party who are in the water, start to see figures moving...
...ending the creature with a fatal wound...
Symon tries to get a better look at whatever is moving on the other side of the portcullis.
Perception:
"We are depleted. Time to break off."
Luther heals Symon.
Symon – There is a dark shape with vicious looking claws moving towards the portcullis – and behind it, the water seems to be unusually turbulent.
Luther – You can hear footsteps from beyond the doorway into the adjacent room…
Feeling the healing energy from Luther, Symon swims back to tell the others what he has seen on the other side of the portcullis.
"It looks bad. Big, with claws and there is something behind it that I could not see clearly. Maybe we should find someplace to rest for a bit!"
"I hear footsteps closeby. Let's get back to the start of this water soaked level. Out of the pool first."
Luther tries to be near the front of the withdrawal with Dezco.
Drusellia follows closely.
Retreating from the Bunyip’s pool and into the tee-junction corridor before moving into the long corridor that leads back to ‘dry land’, the party is not pursued. With Dezco holding his breath – once more – and the others fully acclimatised towards their aquatic environment, the withdrawal is slow and methodical until…
…the eastern-most door within the long corridor swings open and stepping through another arcane air / water boundary, a marine blue-skinned undine moves into the corridor. With no evidence of a weapon in his hand, he points down the corridor behind you – where two more undine, each preceded by an otherworldly creature and swimming against the current, move towards you…
Gesturing and pointing towards the door near you (the door that would lead you back into the room where the bunyip was defeated), the undine stands firm…
Luther says: "Finally, someone that will talk."
Luther points to himself and the undine.
He points to the aquatic entourage and shakes his head no.
He puts his weapon away and shows open hands.
He smiles and makes an after you gesture.
Symon watch Luther "speak" to this water-creature. He keeps his hand near the hilt of his sword...just in case!
Slipping into the pool such that Luther is able to breathe water and then return to air for talking, the Undine scowls as he sees the dead bunyip. Composing himself, he talks in a lilting accent, ”The damage you have caused here will, in time fix itself, our specimens may be replaced and our research may continue. But, it is now time for us to establish an understanding – this is our complex and we will not relinquish control however we shall grant you passage through to the levels below. If your business is with Klarkosh you will find him and his automata at the bottom of the next staircase. If you wish to descend further than that, you will need to negotiate with the Numerian”. The undine, his eyes marine blue and piercing, looks to Luther for a response…
Meanwhile, outside in the corridor, the other undine and their strange companions take up positions adjacent to doorways leading from the corridor – they are not carrying any weapons and, as far as it is possible to tell, are doing nothing more than waiting…
Luther responds: "We came and were treated with hostility when we only wanted to pass through. We are sorry for the loss of such beautiful creatures, but we lost a companion in this unnecessary fighting too. I only ask a safe place to rest where we can breathe air near the entrance to the automata level. If you give us safe passage, we can agree to start no trouble in what we agree is your domain."
Despite Luther’s slightly fumbled efforts at diplomacy, the Undine is clearly keen for the party to leave, ”Your arrival came at a particularly sensitive time in our research however Jorqual was too quick to resort to violence. I am truly sorry that you have lost a friend but now comes the time when we cease this pointless conflict and, with our blessing, you may proceed beyond this place. There are, so far as I understand, places where you may rest between here and Klarkosh’s domain – leave now and let us return to our research”
Luther nods and agrees to terms. They try to find a place to rest and recover before going down.
The undine nods at Luther’s acceptance of terms and beckons everyone to follow him - allowing yourselves to be taken by the flow in the long corridor, you drift towards a small waterfall and a pool at the western end of the corridor. In the pool, you catch a glimpse of something large and metallic breaching the surface before diving beneath the turbulent water once more – but you have no need to enter the pool; the undine who had originally fought you, stands at a door leading to the north – wordlessly he beckons you to enter the partially flooded hallway that leads to a set of stairs heading upwards.
The undine who had negotiated with Luther offers a hand to diplomatically shake, ”This way will take you down to Klarkosh – if our paths should cross once more, I hope that it is peacefully done”.
After rising for fifteen feet, the steps turn into a zigzagging descending staircase for a couple of hundred feet...
The long stairway ends in a small chamber. On the north wall, a panel with two bronze levers - one red and one black - is set chest-high in the wall. To the east, an archway leads to an alcove. Distant ticking echoes through the walls, as if several large clocks were operating simultaneously…
After their rest, Luther gets ready for robots.
Descending once more, Luther and his compatriots arrive at the strange small room...
The long stairway ends in a small chamber. On the north wall, a panel with two bronze levers - one red and one black - is set chest-high in the wall. To the east, an archway leads to an alcove. Distant ticking echoes through the walls, as if several large clocks were operating simultaneously…
Luther points to the levers and Symon.
"Hopefully you can figure this out. The ticking sounds like it could be bad."
Symon moves forward and examines the 2 levers to see if he can decide what they do.
Disable Device(?):
Examining the levers, they are immaculately crafted and maintained...and, as far as you can tell, each lever has an 'up', a 'down' and a 'neutral / middle' position: both levers are currently in the neutral position. The levers, and the panel itself, seem to have little scratching or wear – it is impossible to tell whether either lever is used more often (or in a specific direction) than the other.
After examining the panel for a while, Symon confirms that the levers appear to be part of some kind of a Clockwork mechanism - but is unable to tell what they specifically do.
"So there you have it. Now what? Which lever should we pull, or do you just want me to randomly chose?"
"I think we try them. What could happen?"
"OK, here we go!"
Symon pushes the left lever into the "up" position.
Instantaneously as Symon boldly wrenches the red (left) lever to the 'Up' position... The curved bronze wall off to the east clanks loudly as it rotates aside, revealing a bronze-walled, angled passageway that turns to the left - proceeding for a few feet before ending at a set of double doors to the north.
"Well now! That is something to see. Should we check it out now, or continue to play with these levers?"
Drusellia regards the newly-found passage with a look of surprise. "If these levers control the movement of individual walls, each of which has a number of chambers or passages, then I recommend that we thoroughly explore all options of each before going to the next. In other words, let's check it out."
"Let us check things out while we haven't had bad luck."
Bringing the red capped lever back to a 'neutral' position, the corridor to the west disappears and is replaced by the curved bronze wall once more... And then, with a second decisive push, Symon lowers the lever into a 'down' position - this time, with a clanking of gears, the wall rotates once more and reveals a very short corridor to the east.
This corridor, of no more than a few feet, ends at a set of double doors, reinforced with iron bands, look much newer than the dungeon walls. An emblem in the shape of an automation’s head inside interlocking gears is painted on the door.
Luther nods in appreciation. "Let us try out this one first."