AC = 23
HP = 74/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin debates the next couple of moments, not liking the thought of entering the water, but resigning himself to the fate. He begins the wading.
Maxim listens to Cherrit's claim to have been searching for Zenith.
He scowls, and nods in agreement at Marigold's assessment;
"Threads o' truth in those words... Reckon they did search for Zenith... Motivations a'hind such an endeavour are murky tho..."
As the dwur moves away, he shouts back to the captives;
"Don't go anywhere you two. Got a might more jawin' to do with you pair when we come back."
Like Kikinnin, the gun-mage stares grim faced at the dead dwur.
"Ach. Another poor damn fool drawn along by Zenith. Blood on his hands..."
Maxim stoops to check the corpse for any signs of identification - clan marks, the calloused hands of a smith, anything that might tell the dwarves who this once was;
:
As the shout goes up of another terrible undead foe, Maxim retrieves his wand using it to bolster his protection
Maxim pushes past his comrades, and swallows his fear : , stowing his wand as he goes .
He halts and draws his double barrel pistol bellowing to his comrades engaging the foul mummy;
"We need room god's darn it! Try and force the thing backward iffen ye can!"
Hearing Ryan's warning about the Mummy, Juraan moves up and shoots the only spell he thinks will work down here against it:
« ცეცხლმოკიდებული ცეცხლი » . .
And then tries the same spell again: « סקאָרטשינג פייַער » . .
Kikinnin wades the best he can through the waters.
Maxim advances as well, creating a magical defense and readying his gun.
Juraan is panicking on the figure of the mummy, when Kikinnin's divine braveness inspires the professor on seeing the dwarf placing himself in between the mummy.
He then points towards the undead and nukes the creature with a rain of fire! The moldering linen takes fire despite the water of the room, burning further on the mummy!
Ryan tries to hold the flaming mummy back from the others....
Ryan brings Masterkey over the mummy head calling to Abadar as he does so. There is a explosion of positive energy that blasts the undead. Nevertheless, the creature resist partially the mace and the energy damage both.
The mummy is almost destroyed by the powerful smite, but it holds enough to answer back.
The mummy responds back with a powerful slam on the cleric's head!
"Just stay dead, damn you!" says Juraan just before he casts another spell
« ცეცხლმოკიდებული ცეცხლი » . .
Trying desperately to keep her head above the dank water, Marigold paddles...
______
...and continues paddling, though her anxiety magnifies as the battle now rages right next to her...
______
Maxim loads one barrel of his double-barrel pistol w/ black powder and bullet
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Observing his effectiveness, Juraan creates another ray of fire, but this time it splashes on the water with a smoldering puff of smoke.
Marigold fights against the mummy rotted waters without success. She starts having a terrible time trying not to drink the water. Due to the weight of her breastplate, it is easy for her to touch the bottom. She would be able to walk through with some effort.
Maxim works on fully loading his new pistol with powder before it gets all wet.
Ryans shields catches most of the creature's blow but the hand still rings his bell momentarily.
"JJ, get Marigold!"
With the positive energy affecting the creature, Ryan takes a risk with another spell.
Ryan resists to the mummy's curse, then carefully casts a spell. When he points to the undead and a bright sparkling ray jumps over it, the mummy profits his lowered defenses to slam the cleric.
The strong hand twists Ryan's face, but his ray disrupts the mummy's no-health anyway.
For once, JJ seems hesitant to rush in and remains at the corridor, most probably due to the scary presence of the mummy.
The mummy slams once more at Ryan, with his other hand this time breaking the cleric's right shoulder.
The mummy's linens seem in very bad shape and almost to the point of destruction.
Ryan is rocked by both the left and rights from the creature in front of him, dust from the creature showering him in the process, sneezing and coughing momentarily, he continues to fight the creature.
With a burst of strength, Marigold finally manages to begin treading water. Realizing that she needed to get her feet on solid ground to work her magic, she begins moving through the water...
______
Cursing his poor aim last time, Juraan tries to hit the mummy again with a less taxing spell:
« ჩაშლას არ მკვდარი » . .
Maxim squints and watches, trying to time a shot with his loaded pistol... As he does the gun-mage imbues the weapon with a smidgen of magic
"Apologies ahead o' time Professor... This'll likely deafen yer ancestors!"
Seeing a hit of damp mummy through the crush of bodies, he squeezes the trigger
:
:
AC = 23
HP = 74/74
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Needing only one more advance to engage with the rottin' mummy, Kikinnin pushes forward in the water, into the newly made space.
For the creature's nature, the black-beard brings his Smite to bear for the first time this day.
Kikinnin attempts to enter the melee but Ryan seems resolved to protect the group from the mummy with his body regardless of how much he is starting to cough.
The cleric makes his Abadar symbol up in the air and channels another wave of energy. The mummy protects itself from the wave, but nevertheless it is just too much to hold and is suddenly shattered into dust that melds into the water.
Marigold finally succeeds to get her head out of the waters while Kikinnin, Maxim and Juraan try to work to get a spot of the undead.
Once the mummy is removed, the examination of the dwarf corpse can continue.
The multiple mutilations and numerous wounds suggest the dwarf died from torture excess. By the state of nails, rigor mortis and other facts, you could say he died a couple of weeks ago after a tough fight against his wounds.
There is something odd in the dwarf. His skin is covered with dark scales.
This is Pocca Rouradont, Kikinnin's father, who was previously thought to had been killed by Kazhun.
With the body released from its manacles, Kikinnin carries it out of the watery chamber, in order to rest it on the hallway floor. He is able to lay eyes upon the corpse, seeking to understand if their mission was now over.
Kneeling in plate, the black-beard takes care to lift each arm, one at a time, for a look along the rib cage. He does the same for the torso, front to back, rolling the body gently to continuously inspect the entry wounds and the flensing marks from the torture tools.
"Ach. Another poor damn fool drawn along by Zenith. Blood on his hands..."
"Maxim is right. This isn't Zenith himself, just another damn fool dwarf..." Kikinnin looks directly into Maxim's eyes.
"Kroppen skal vende tilbage til Malachit, for en ordentlig begravelse. Vi skylder ham så meget."
"The body needs returning to Malachite, for a proper funeral. We owe him that much."
Marigold splutters and coughs as she manages to haul herself out of the deep water, staggering back along the corridor to flop down on the ground to catch her breath.
"Bleaugh! M-Mummy water!" she exclaims as she quickly takes a sip of water from her own canteen to rinse her mouth. "Wh-why would they j-just leave s-something like that running l-loose down here!?"
After she's had a moment to collect herself she climbs to her feet once more. "R-Ryan? That...that l-looked like that r-really hurt j-just now. Are you ok-kay?"
As Maxim and Kikinnin exchange words in their native tongue, Marigold looks at them askance. Something seemed...off...with their discovery of the dead dwarf but she wasn't sure what it might be.
Juraan then points down the hall opposite.
"That's as good a place as any to go to get out of this pool."
"But Ryan needs healing more than the rest of us first, though."
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JJ tears himself from the corridor and guiltiy splashes through the room to catch up with the others. His face is white and his arms still shake.
"Tha..that thing..." he stammers, seemingly ovetaken with Marigolds stammer.
Maxim meets Kikinnin's stare with a solemn expression and a nod;
"At vi gør bror."
That we do brother
Maxim obviously recognises the dwur, but stoically respects Kikinnin's reasoning not to make this public.
(Am just checking you did read the Spoiler for us above ;)
Taking a moment after the fire to look inwardly at himself.
Coughing Ryan moves out of the way for the others to enter the watery torture chamber, leaning against the wall a moment he thanks Abadar..
"Thank you for your cleansing power, the abomination has been sent to it's final judgement. Yet in that sending I am now cursed by the creatures own filth. I beseech you Abadar to grant me Remove Curse."
"Remove maledicite terrae"
"Kikinnin, I should have <cough> let you take the lead.. <cough> Can you remove the mummy's rot affecting me?"
Oh, aye, the spoilers have been read, and you read it right.
Kikinnin takes his shield off, and sets it on the floor of the hallway. He then lifts the dead dwarf's body, and rests it upon the shield, preventing it from touching the floor directly.
"Kikinnin, I should have <cough> let you take the lead..."
Kikinnin turns to face Ryan. "You corked the hallway. You could have stepped aside, and let others into the fight, but you didn't." He speaks the words as a matter of fact.
"<cough> Can you remove the mummy's rot affecting me?"
"If I remember correctly, Jenya had preparations for such a thing. Can't you do the same for yourself? I can only heal, and ease the fatigue of the march, from all I can tell, and have done. I haven't used Abadar's Gift to cure disease, priest. Not sure it works that way."
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Ryan understands he is facing a dangerous disease called mummy rot, and quickly reacts praying for the curse associated to be removed.
Meanwhile, Kikinnin prepares his shield for the dead dwarf to lay down there.
Maxim silently watches as Kikinnin reverently lays the dwur upon his shield.
As the warrior stoically comments on the group's (and more specifically Ryan's) tactical flaw, the gun-mage pats his bror upon his shoulder;
"Easy Bror. Taskerhill was just followin' our usual modus operandi in such situations... We all done it... corked the bottle just when everyone is parched fer a drop..."
The wizard-merchant flashes a forced smile toward Ryan then nods at the vanquished undead;
"Point is, we're goin' ta git ourselves in too deep one day. Going forward in this watery maze, best we be canny about engagin' eh?"
JJ just remains quiet with a guilty expression on his face for having missed the battle.
"My intent was never <cough> to blockade the doorway, but the creature moved much faster than I expected at first. As for Jenya being able to cure disease, I can as well, but it is all I can do to today, to remove the curse. I had not prepared to fight a curse or disease down here. Prayer and Sunlight at the time felt more useful; now not so much."
Ryan moves over to where Kikinnin's father lays, kneeling down he takes a bit of salt and two copper pieces, laying them on the dwarfs eyes.
"salvavitque" Leaving his head down he says a quiet prayer, standing he looks at Kikinnin.
"I can't do much for him now but he will remain as he is for another week. until we can return. Perhaps maybe some help will still remain for him at that time."
"I c-can't help...c-curing d-disease is s-something outside my wh-wheelhouse," Marigold adds, chewing her lower lip anxiously. Though some of her own magics mimicked what Ryan was capable of, Marigold knew that she was no priest but something else entirely. "B-but I can at least h-help with the r-rest," she offers as she channels some of her magic into mending priest's wounds.
"Th-there...at l-least most of the ph-physical wounds are g-gone..."
______
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"As for Jenya being able to cure disease, I can as well, but it is all I can do today, to remove the curse."
Kikinnin hears strain in the priest's voice, something he takes for desperation, a fearful respect of the rot given to him from the mummy. The black-beard doesn't know the full extent of the woven curse-disease, nor the only manner of cure. He does know that Ryan turned to him, petitioned him for something beyond his ken, and slowly lets the thought deepen.
Abadar, Your man is suffering here. You've given me great gifts of healing, but I've never burned disease from a body before. I don't consider myself a healer. Not like Ryan and Marigold. If You're listening, I will humbly ask You to heal Ryan of his disease. He worships You deeply, so just give him the cure now.
Kikinnin looks Ryan over, waiting. In several short seconds, the black-beard starts to itch his hands through his gloves. He doesn't seem to notice it consciously, at first. After it becomes difficult to ignore, Kikinnin finds himself removing a single glove to look at his hand more closely. The soft skin in the palm of his hand radiates a deep red. Several long seconds, and the black-beard understands.
Kikinnin steps up on Ryan, and places the red palm against the side of the priest's neck. From his palm, the red radiates into Ryan's neck, and feathers out, until the glow is gone.
"There, then. I don't know how you knew to ask me, Ryan. I could have used your guidance, if you knew that someone who could call on Abadar to heal wounds could also cure disease. Perhaps the rot was already too deep for you to instruct me. Fortunately, Abadar's a good listener."
Kikinnin turns to JJ. "If you're ready, JJ. Let's get going."
"Unfortunately, healing is something I'm not at all good at."
"I think we better carry on. The sooner we can take of this business and return to Cauldron, the better!"
When the red glow from Kikinnin's hand disappears, Ryan suddenly stops sweating. The cleric recovers his natural color and the disease is purged from his body before it can punish his vitals.
Juraan sends his dancing lights to the front and discover the corridor turns to the left. Moving on, the group reaches to a halt when the perfectly sculpted tunnel abruptly ends.
"This is ... annoying! Why bother digging out a dead-end tunnel like ?" Juraan says to nobody in particular.
Unless something untoward happens reaching the end of the tunnel, Juraan will try and see if there's a hidden door or something.
JJ watches in amazement as the three holy workers put their talents together to cure the devastating injuries that Ryan took from the Mummy.
He gives a quick nod to the dwarf. "Right, ahead I go!"
JJ quickly jogs up, "Hold up professor... may pay to let those of us with elf-metal armor to get between you and too much danger."
Kikinnin does his best to keep up with the others, expecting nothing but conflict and horror around each and every corner of this frog den. When he rounds the hallway corner, he takes small relief from seeing a dead end, instead of another undead creature or pack of frog folk.
He waits long enough to hear if they need to reverse their direction, or one of them finds a way through.
"N-nowhere to g-go? Th-that seems s-strange..." Marigold murmurs, looking around for something they might've missed.
Juraan examines the end of the corridor and confirms there is a secret door. Positioning himself on the first place, JJ pushes open the stone door to uncover the widest and tallest room he has ever discovered.
A seventy-foot-high statue of a lobster-headed and lobster-clawed woman dominates this chamber. Its eyes glow with a bright crimson that illuminates the room. An iron-railed balcony rings the room at a height of thirty feet, above a pool of water. A stairway leads up to a platform directly across the chamber that encircles the midsection of the statue, a few feet below its massive crustacean claws. The balcony follows the walls three-quarters of the way around the chamber. To the east and west are stairs leading both up and down. About thirty feet above this balcony is another balcony, which extends only half-way along the left and right walls. Frescoes of bloody sacrifices—mostly stylized kuo-toas carrying dismembered body parts—cover the walls. Every single kuo-toa depicted is facing the lobster statue.
From the secret door position, it is impossible to appreciate the higher floors, as a platform acts as a ceiling that covers any view.
In this floor, at the bottom of the enormous room, a group of kuo-toas are engaged in rhythmic croaking while revering the magnificent lobster statue.
Ryan sighs as it becomes apparent Kikinnin's mercies could work for him. Followed by the warmth of Marigold's healing.
"Thank you both, I really wasn't sure you could. See Ruphus, used to tell stories of Sir Garund of Evermire. How at times of great need he could heal the diseased with but a touch of his hand. My need was great and to speak with doubt..<sigh> Thank you."
Ryan moves to end of the tunnel stopping before JJ opens the door.
Ryan will wait for the report as he is no where close to stealthy
Juraan will watch quietly as JJ opens the door.
He will have his bow ready. Just in case.
JJ quietly shuts the door, after getting a feel for the size of the room.
"Right... we might need a plan here." he says, especially after he realises half the group has yet to catch up.
"Do we rush them? And if so... that water looks to be pretty slow going. It might be better for Kikinnin and myself to try slip forward... or maybe just me to start. And then the rest go with missile fire if/when I am discovered? Any other suggestions or blessings?"
"Well, I can give you a head start with short-lived invisibility"
"They won't know you're there until you're right on top of them."
"The rest of us would then need to rush in quickly once you've got their attention."
"I just hope there aren't any others on those balconies."
"Anyone else have any ideas on ending this as quickly as possible?"
"At least we'll have surprise on our side to start with."
Maxim hangs back, reloading his pistol with bullet and powder as the scouting group decide on the next step.
Once signaled or informed of the intent, he'll more forward;
:
Kikinnin waits for the secret door to be closed, before speaking. "I don't suppose those doors across the way are open, and amenable to knocking on 'em? I'd hate to circle back, and find out that they're locked. Could be an easy distraction, if we attracted a group of them to opening them, while the rest of you here wait until you see movement..."
The black-beard looks to the others to figure on the doors' current state of lock-ed-ness. If it looks like the original doors from the main entrance from the initial ambush site are the same doors, Kikinnin will volunteer to circle back, and knock on them. He's amenable to other ideas, of course.
"Wouldn't those doors double back to the ones we saw near the entrance we came in through?" muses JJ.
"I like the idea, but coordinating the attack may be difficult..." he pauses to think a bit more.
"Wait, we came down some stairs to get there, were those doors on this level, or higher up? If they were on this level then they couldn't be the same ones as we passed at the entrance."
JJ wracks his memory. "But those doors were on this level. So unless we find a different way into the whole temple, I think we may need to go through the secret door. I like the plan to make us invisible. That would certainly give us a bit of an advantage."
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, JJ."
"I can only make one person invisible at a time with this spell."
"And not for very long at that."
"So, when we're ready, I can make you invisible."
"Now that I think of it, if you go in first, we can go in right after."
"Once they start dealing with us, you can just appear out of nowhere."
"Your sword skills will definitely cause them grief once you appear."
"It's vital none of them make it to those double doors to sound an alarm."
"Before we enter, though, let me enhance Longthorn first."
« სიმძიმის მშვილდი » . .
"Oh, yes. Need to make up some for my lack of armour too."
« ჯადოქრის ჯავშანი » . .
"Just say the word, JJ and I'll make you vanish briefly just before you open that door again."